


Chevaux

by futureimperfect, Miri Cleo (miri_cleo)



Series: Circumstance [20]
Category: Original Work
Genre: BDSM, Equestrian, F/F, F/M, Femslash, Multi, Original Femslash, Pony Play, Threesome - F/F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-25
Updated: 2010-04-26
Packaged: 2017-10-09 03:57:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 29,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/82803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/futureimperfect/pseuds/futureimperfect, https://archiveofourown.org/users/miri_cleo/pseuds/Miri%20Cleo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Quite a few ponies have come through Kris and Hilda's lives, but some more than stand out.</p><p>Note: Parts of this piece take place simultaneously as parts of <a>Bridled</a> and <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/68336/chapters/90165">Stable</a>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Auction

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Bridled](https://archiveofourown.org/works/68312) by [futureimperfect](https://archiveofourown.org/users/futureimperfect/pseuds/futureimperfect), [Miri Cleo (miri_cleo)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/miri_cleo/pseuds/Miri%20Cleo). 
  * Inspired by [Stable](https://archiveofourown.org/works/68336) by [futureimperfect](https://archiveofourown.org/users/futureimperfect/pseuds/futureimperfect), [Miri Cleo (miri_cleo)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/miri_cleo/pseuds/Miri%20Cleo). 



> A/N: All characters were created by and belong to the authors. Please do not use without permission.
> 
> We would like to note that this fic, as it progresses, is in no way meant to represent an entirely realistic representation of the BDSM Scene. This is a fictionalized, somewhat Romanticized account, in which many of the intricate details are left between the lines. However, despite the poetic license, we hope the portrayal is thoughtful and enjoyable.

Sun streamed through the high windows, dappling the floor with slants of the small panes broken by the shadows of leaves. Murmurs echoed throughout the room in a controlled hum with undertones of the rustle of bodies and clothing. The statuary was quite stunning for a private collection, and between each piece stood, alternating, a male and female slave simply clad in silver and gold collars. They were posed modestly, hands behind their backs and eyes respectfully down. But the unassuming nature of the aesthetic was pleasant, and guests remarked upon it accordingly.

But the centerpiece of the room was a stage where an elegant podium stood beside a simple block. The gentleman at the podium was sipping from a tall glass while a silver collared slave waited behind with a tray. The block was newly empty.

Marzelline tried not to squirm as the pony in front of her was led to the block. She was waiting in a well-spaced line, her arms bent at the elbows and bound tightly behind her back, pressing her chest forward. She had been told to keep her head up, her eyes forward, and above all, to keep still. But it was so difficult with all of the people—some in seats, some milling about—and the sound of the gavel every so often. And some of the decorative slaves were simply so pretty to look at.

It was intentional, she thought, that the line of ponies to be auctioned could see the bidders. Some lounged in their straight back chairs, holding their fans up lazily with only the intent of driving the bid higher. Other sat straight, fidgeted. Marzelline wondered which would bid on her. Several had looked her over in the silent morning when they were made to stand outside of their stalls for the bidders' inspections. Her master stood to the back, his hand, she knew without looking, stroking his chin. Though she wanted to more than anything else, Marzelline did not dare cast her gaze in his direction. He wanted an impeccably trained pony, and he felt this was the only way, for Marzelline, he had said, needed distance and a hand firmer than his own.

The shadows in the room were moving with the silently rustling leaves outside, and the speckles of light on the floor were slowly creeping up Marzelline's legs, warming her skin unevenly. She did not move and tried not to look at the pony standing on the block as bidding over him became heated. Soon he was being led down and a gold collared slave was clipping a simple black lead to her. Marzelline tried to keep her eyes forward; she would disappoint her master if she ruined her chances by seeming ill behaved. Of course, that was what some bidders wanted, but those were not the kind he was looking for.

"Lot 4247, then—a female, minimally trained—opening at five thousand."

Marzelline was too terrified to see if anyone raised a fan or a catalogue. The sounds of the auctioneer, as the bidding continued, were almost unintelligible to her. She was wondering when it would be over, why it seemed so interminable. But a clear voice from somewhere in the back of the room cut through that.

"Fifty."  
The number rang in Marzelline's ears, and her eyes went wide. _Fifty_ was…even she knew she was not worth half as much. She could not help but stare at the tall blonde who was now sauntering towards the stage.

"Fifty to Lady Hilda. Might I have sixty? Fifty-five?" the auctioneer asked after a moment of silence. Marzelline's heart was caught in her throat, and in another moment, she was flinching as the gavel was brought down and a slave was leading her away. She had no idea if the blonde had won or not.

Before she realized, Marzelline was off of the stage, and when she turned her head, she could see her master shaking hands with the woman after they had signed the papers she signed the night before. She shivered as the blonde's crisp blue eyes met her own, and despite her minimal training, Marzelline could not look down. This would be the woman who would dictate all of the small details of her life for the next year, and already, she was afraid she was making a bad impression.

But the blonde merely reached up and turned Marzelline's face with a steady hand so that she was looking forward again. She drew in a breath of relief, of surprise.

"Mm," she heard the blonde intone just as she felt the flat of her palm on her side, the touch firm, appraising. The woman rounded her and nodded as she reached Marzelline's front. And when she reached into her pocket and produced a cube of sugar from it, Marzelline felt a rush of warmth between her thighs. As she leaned forward, she realized she would never so easily come by a treat again, and she took it gratefully, sighing as Hilda ran a hand through her hair.

[ ](http://www.statcounter.com/tumblr/)


	2. Ancelote

Part of an afternoon paper fluttered down the sidewalk, and Hilda watched from her cafe table as two little girls chased after it, their father hurrying behind them as he laughed. From across the square, she could hear a dog barking and another farther away. And there was the general traffic of the afternoon as it picked up some time after the lunch hour. She sipped her espresso and adjusted her glasses, looking down at the folder full of test result print outs in front of her. She would have to go back to the lab sometime soon.

The spring air felt wonderful against the back of Ancelote's neck, though not as good as it would feel if her hair were free to fall about her face. Still, the twist was appropriate for work, even as the curls left behind by its release wouldn't be. Her lunch hour was just starting, and she was hoping that it would be as productive as the rest of her morning had been. Therese had told her where she thought Hilda would likely be having lunch and Ancelote had every intention of introducing herself. The challenge that the markets had always offered her were becoming less and less appealing and she feared that burnout was fast approaching. It was time to get out and do something else with her life, and Hilda was that first step. Though she had been to the club in Paris often, she had never encountered Hilda there and she was only partially certain that the woman sitting at the table was really her. Still, it would be quick work to find out. "Dr. Bor?"

"Yes?" Hilda looked up, ascertaining immediately that she didn't know the young woman standing before her and blocking her light. And though she was pretty, the cut of suit and style of her hair immediately told Hilda that this was probably business--business, she hoped, that was not going to be too bothersome.

"I'm Ancelote Brun. Therese di Sassari gave me your name..." She held her hand out, not showing just how happy she was that she had found the right person on the first try. She was sure that her nerve would have failed her if she had been wrong, and then she would have had to wait at least another week.

Well. Then, this was going to be a different sort of business altogether. Hilda closed the folder and extended her hand as she leaned forward. She looked at Ancelote more closely, more curious now. She seemed young but well put together...so much so that she could have been any age, though she was probably in her twenties. Hilda would wager that that quality would stay with her. And her eyes were bright, catching. Hilda waved to the empty seat. "Please." There could have been any number of reasons Therese gave her name; Hilda wouldn't assume, though she already had. She took out a cigarillo and lit it.

"Thank you." She pulled out a cigarette of her own and lit it, assuming that Hilda wouldn't mind. She had been hoping that Therese's name would get her an invitation to sit. After a calming pull on the cigarette, and a deep breath, she got right in to what she had come to talk about. "Therese told me that you have quite an impressive set of stables. I'd like to join them." She didn't see any point in beating around the bush.

Hilda raised her eyebrows and let the pause linger as she ashed. "Mm." She very much liked Ancelote's frankness; there was a refreshing quality to it that drew one in easily. "Take down your hair," Hilda said after a moment.

Ancelote pursed her lips. Once it was down, it would be practically impossible to get it back up. "I'd rather not."

"Pity." Hilda let the cigarillo dangle from her fingers as she opened her folder once again. She didn't think Ancelote would be going anywhere, but she hardly wanted to waste her time on someone who wasn't entirely serious. And there were any manner of games to discover who was and who was not entirely serious.

Taking another drag on her cigarette, Ancelote started pulling the pins from her hair, only glaring slightly. She really should have thought to put a brush in her purse that morning, but normally, it wasn't an issue. "When I can't get back onto the trading floor, I'll know who to thank." She tossed the last of the pins, and there was quite a pile by now, onto the table.

"And isn't that why you're here in the first place?" Though, Hilda's tone indicated that she already knew the answer to that question. Hilda had watched the display dispassionately, and now she was looking Ancelote over even more carefully. She snubbed her cigarillo as she leaned forward, bright eyes trained mercilessly on the younger woman's face.

Ancelote shrugged dispassionately. "I'm thinking of quitting anyway." She wasn't sure why she told Hilda that, but now it was out there. She swallowed and put her cigarette against her lips once more, but it was the only sign of nerves that she would allow herself. She refused to look away.

The little display was curious, and it caught Hilda's attention more than anything else. She allowed a thin smile to appear on her face. "Therese gave you my name," she said as she uncrossed her long legs and stood. She rounded Ancelote's chair and began to run her fingers through the woman's thick curls. The touch was appraising and firm, and she was soon carefully separating pieces. "Did she tell you anything else?"

Just as she had when she was a child, Ancelote automatically tilted her head forward. "Only that you occasionally ate lunch here and that you were the best." And though Ancelote had never expected perfection from herself, she saw no point in dealing with mediocrity either.

"Mm. I am good at providing the environment, and I am good at reinforcing excellent training." Hilda held no illusions of grandeur, but she knew that she did what she did on a scale of no other in Paris. If the future pony was completely serious about entering her stables, Hilda was totally up front about them. And she was as up front about herself as she judged she needed to be; with Ancelote, Hilda saw the need to be direct. She began to braid her hair tightly, with practiced fingers. "What is it that you are expecting?"

"Goals, direction. Being forced to think about something other than making money." Some people would go on vacation, but that was too temporary. Others would start volunteering, but she wasn't that altruistic. She could hear her voice echoing off of her chest and she was unhappy with how hollow it sounded. The way that Hilda was tugging on her hair was making her spine tingle.

The answer to that question was different for each pony that she found this way. With the ones she got from auction, the instructions were always very clear. Otherwise, answers ranged from the very concrete--the feel of hay pricking bare legs, the taste of a bit--to the more existential. Ancelote's answer was a little bit of both, and Hilda liked that immediately; Ancelote was serious, and she would not disappear after one night of sleeping on hay in the carefully climate controlled stables. "If you make your own goals and your own direction, then you will have gotten what you wanted. But I can certainly promise to redirect your thinking." Hilda finished the braid with a final tug and reached around Ancelote, taking several pins. She placed them tightly and stepped back, admiring her work before sitting again. "We can discuss the rest when you've finished your work for the day."

Ancelote nodded. "Where?" She had already fully committed to this path. The only uncertainly had lay in Hilda accepting her.

Hilda took one of her cards out of her pocket, along with a pen, and wrote the address of the country house on the back. It was almost an hour's drive but worth the commute. "You may wait in the house if I'm not home yet. Someone will show you in," she said as she slid the card across the table.

The card was stiff in her fingers as Ancelote looked it over, trying to visualize just where the house was. She nodded at the instructions. "I'll see you this evening." She took one last drag on her cigarette and snuffed it out, already rising to get back to work.


	3. Arizona

Ancelote turned her car into driveway, trying to see as much of the house as she could without looking like a lost tourist. There was no doubt in her mind that this was the right place and it certainly fit the image that she had constructed. She got out of her car and jogged up the front stairs to ring the bell. Though she had wanted to come straight out, she had forced herself to go home and eat something, having already missed lunch. She had fed the cat and changed out of her work clothes, though she hadn't taken down her hair, and now she pressed her fingernails into her palms to stop herself from fidgeting as she waited what seemed to be an incredibly long time for someone to open the door.

She jumped when it finally did open and revealed a man with tattoos all over his arms. For some reason, she didn't think that he was the butler, but she jumped again when he spoke, her nerves finally getting the better of her. "You must be Ancelote. Hilda told me to expect you." He held the door open for her, inviting her inside. "I'm Geoffrey, Hilda's husband." She tried not to gape, but there was nothing about Hilda that said she would have a husband at all, let alone one like that. "Um... It's nice to meet you."

Geoffrey nodded. "You as well." He walked her to a sitting room that Hilda liked to use for these sorts of things. "Hilda should only be a few minutes. You can wait in here." His smile was kind, but there was something ominous about the way he closed the door behind her.

The room was comfortable, but there was very little that was personal about it, save Hilda's taste in antiques with understated intricacies. She preferred it to the more comfortable living room, as it held too many distractions for what were generally nervous recruits. When she came home, she saw the unfamiliar car and knew Ancelote would be waiting. Yet even as she entered and kissed Geoffrey lightly, she asked, "Is she here, then?"

"She is." He wordlessly took Hilda's briefcase. "Did you find her or did she come to you?" He liked to know a little bit about the people that Hilda spent so much of her time with, even if they weren't acting as people.

"Therese sent her to me, and she seemed quite determined." A thoughtful half smile lit Hilda's face. "I can only imagine what she did to get Therese to divulge. But I think I've kept her waiting long enough..."

Geoffrey nodded. "She did seem a a bit nervous." He kissed her cheek lightly. "I'll see you later."

"Mm." Hilda had anticipated as much, not only because it was normal but also because she had given Ancelote half a day to think about it. Even the most rational of potential ponies had nerves; Hilda would have been suspect otherwise. She went into the room, noting that Ancelote flinched when the door was open. "Hello again," she said as she took a seat opposite her.

"Good afternoon." Ancelote desperately wanted to start smoking again, but something told her that Hilda wouldn't appreciate it in her house.

"I'm glad you decided to come." Hilda crossed her legs neatly. She would not have given Ancelote the address if she thought the young woman would not show. "To business, then. I need to know how much time you are willing to devote to this process before we can discuss anything else." She put her elbows on the armrests of her chair and laced her fingers together.

"My evenings are free, as are my weekends," Ancelote shrugged. There really wasn't much that kept her attention, so she rarely bothered to go out and she didn't have many other commitments. "I'll have more time if I do quit, but that's my schedule for now."

"Mm." Hilda had an inkling that Ancelote would take well to training and wish to devote more time to it. She would not encourage her to quit her job, but Hilda could see that the decision was not so much of a decision as it was simply finding the will and motivation to take the next step. "Very well. I would prefer to have you trained on the weekends then--both Saturday and Sunday if my trainer agrees to it--and should you wish to truly immerse yourself, you may spend your nights in the stables here; otherwise, it is your decision as to whether the drive is too long for an hour's work." Hilda had a small indoor arena, and she was not opposed to using it for ponies that only had evenings. But that was rarely the case. "The pony stables are clean and environmentally controlled. Each pony has a stall, and there are two grooms that I trust implicitly that work in that barn only. The terms are different per individual situation, but the basics are the same." She paused, trying to gauge Ancelote's reaction before continuing.

Ancelote regarded Hilda seriously, wanting to make sure that she fully understood everything that the other woman was saying before she truly agreed to anything. She nodded as Hilda finished. "That sounds... acceptable." She was going to say reasonable, but none of this seemed particularly reasonable to her. It was more of an unconscious itch. "I'll probably want to stay on Friday and Saturday nights, at least." The rest of the week would be impossible. The markets opened far too early, but if she did quit... Ancelote forced herself away from that thought. She had no practical experience with this and she wasn't going to quit her job for a vague idea.

"Very well." Hilda shifted in her chair, but she did not take her gaze off of Ancelote. "Should you compete in any events, the winnings will be your own. If and when you agree, we will draw up something more formal, which includes a bank account for that purpose. I retain any winnings from bets, and I absorb the cost of your tack and your lessons--entry fees or any other necessities that arise. There is a minimal sum, however for use of the facilities--room and board if you care to think of it that way." She took a pen from her jacket pocket and wrote the sum, adjusted for Ancelote's expressed needs, on the back of another of her cards before handing it to the young woman.

Ancelote only glanced at the number before she tucked the card away. "That's fine. How would you like it and when?" The fee wasn't really a concern.

"A cheque will be sufficient, at the end of each month or the beginning, if you prefer." Hilda stood. "Shall we take a tour, then?" She preferred to do this part in the day, but she did not think Ancelote would be satisfied leaving without having seen the stables for herself. As she led her out of the room Hilda said, "You should know that I don't sleep with the ponies and neither do the grooms. Should you consent, they will be allowed to touch you and request oral sex. And should you wish it, I can arrange scenes." Hilda spoke matter of factly, and she had delivered the speech more than a few times. As they stepped into the night air, she turned to Ancelote. "There are times when I request that a pony step out of the role and join me here at the house. It is not often, and I do not expect to be obliged if the desire is not mutual."

Nodding, Ancelote followed Hilda toward the stables. "Of course." She would have to think about the grooms and what she would and wouldn't allow. She had a feeling that if she did consent, 'request' wouldn't exactly describe what the grooms did.

"The last is the only part that will not be put into writing," Hilda said as she continued walking to the stables. The area was well lit, and Hilda's property was surrounded by an old stone wall that she put quite a bit into reconstructing and maintaining. The scent of horses and fresh shavings hung about the air as they got closer, but Hilda directed her steps away from the building from which it was coming, the one where the wide aisle was visible, to one where the doors were closed for the night. She slid one open, and a groom appeared. "Edgard." She merely nodded as the tall young man half bowed.

Hilda did not introduce Ancelote; that would come in a different way when she was a pony, and it would heighten the experience. "There are two grooms, one male and one female. If you have you a preference about which handles you, I'll need to know." Hilda walked to the closest stall and clicked her tongue when she saw Freyja was still awake. The light haired pony stood and came forward as Hilda produced a sugar cube. "Each pony has a name of my or his or her master's choosing," she said as the pony took the cube from the flat of her palm. Ancelote, Hilda had already quite decided, was to be called Arizona. Her pretty coloring reminded Hilda of the sunsets over a ranch on a recent trip to America.

"I suppose that makes sense." If she was looking for something else to take her attention, this certainly seemed like it would do. She took a long look at Freyja, her name was written on her stall, and tried to picture herself in her place. It made her shiver, even though the stables were comfortable.

"We can make all of the arrangements as soon as you'd like, and then you'll have to have a tack fitting. Each pony has his or her own tack, but in order to start immediately, we'll use something from the tackroom until yours is ready." Hilda walked on, having noting Ancelote's physical response. She let Ancelote simply look as she pleased. "Have you any questions for me?"

Ancelote wanted to have questions, to prove that she had been paying attention, but Hilda had been incredibly thorough. She lightly cleared her throat. "No. I don't think so. Whatever you need me to sign, I'd like to go ahead and do it."

Sometimes that was the response, and Hilda didn't think Ancelote would mind if she stripped her and put her in a stall that very moment. But she merely stopped and put her hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "Come back Saturday. If you change your mind, I trust you will let me know...and keep what you have seen to yourself." _If_ she changed her mind. Hilda did not allow prospects such as Ancelote to sign immediately; it was foolish not to give them time to think, even if they did not want it.

Ancelote lifted her chin. "You've no need to protect me from myself. I know my own mind." Her judgement got questioned on an almost daily basis and it was one of the reasons that she was thinking of leaving her job.

Hilda resisted the urge to smile as she stepped forward and firmly took Ancelote's chin. "I hope that is the last time you question my decisions," she said calmly. Hilda doubted it would be, but it would be the last time Ancelote could make such a verbal protest.

Her eyes narrowed, but Ancelote backed down. "I'm sorry." She needed to remember that Hilda wasn't one of her fellow traders, condescendingly looking out for one of the few women around them and constantly thinking that they knew better. She swallowed against her ire. "I'll be back on Saturday."

"Good." Hilda let go of her chin and took a moment to enjoy the way Ancelote's cheeks colored brightly. "I'll schedule your fitting."

With that settled, Ancelote felt at a bit of a loss. She wasn't sure what happened now, if she just left or if she should wait for some kind of dismissal and she looked to Hilda for direction.

Hilda allowed a thin smile at the recognizable question. She had a feeling that Ancelote was going to do very well, and she reminded herself to thank Therese for sending her. "I'm sure you'll want to get home before it gets too late," she said coolly.

She nodded and thanked Hilda before she turned to go. Saturday seemed like it was a long way off, but she knew that once she was home, she would have other things to think about.


	4. Reversal

Hilda finished mending a piece of tack, making note of a few things she needed to replace before walking back into the center aisle of the pony barn. She glanced over each stall, mentally checking even though she knew the grooms had already been through once for the night and would go through again before turning the lights out. Geoffrey had been gone for a week or so of business with a shop in London, and she had been spending more than usual of time away from the lab in the barns. She stopped at Arizona's stall, half smiling as the pony came forward without any prompting. Hilda thought for a moment before sliding the door open and stepping inside.

Arizona stepped back slightly as Hilda came into her stall, her eyes bright and curious about what Hilda might want. Though she had already been settled for the night, she wasn't the least bit sleepy, still getting used to the early hours kept in the stables. If she was at home, she would be up for several more hours, waiting for the American markets to close. While it was hard to stop thinking that way, she had officially left it behind almost two weeks earlier.

There was sugar in Hilda's pocket, but she didn't reach for it. Instead, she gently stroked Arizona's side. "Kom lige her," she said, softening the phrase with the middle word when she wouldn't usually for ponies. Arizona had been picking up the commands well enough, and while Hilda was pleased with that, she was interested in something different that night.

Arizona stepped closer, cocking her head to the side at the change in syntax, hoping that it didn't change the intent. She didn't exactly understand the Danish, and she couldn't translate the exact words, but she thought she understood the idea. She pressed into Hilda's hand, even going so far as to risk butting her forehead against Hilda's collarbone.

Hilda chuckled lightly and stroked Arizona's hair for another moment. She hooked her fingers into one of the rings on the pony's collar and walked her out without bothering to get a lead. Most of the ponies had settled down, but a few were watching curiously as Hilda began to remove Arizona's tack.

Arizona stretched her shoulders as the tack came off, getting used to being free of it, as she had to do every time someone took it off of her. That normally only happened when she was ready to go home for the night, but she had no such plans and she wondered if perhaps she had done something to upset Hilda.

"Come," she said in French this time. Hilda left the collar on, intending to replace it when they reached the house.

As Arizona did as she was told, following Hilda out of the barn and toward the house, her confusion only grew. Still, she remained silent, not knowing whether questions were appropriate.

Hilda went in through a small door off of the garden, and she stopped in the mud room to remove Arizona's collar and to undo her braid. "I'd hoped you would enjoy spending the night here," she said quietly.

"Oh." Arizona was surprised, but that didn't stop her from stretching her neck and shaking out her hair. Now that she was inside, she was acutely aware of the fact that she was completely naked and she felt her skin turn hot, though she tried her best to ignore it. "Of course. Yes." She relaxed slightly in relief.

"You needn't agree if you'd prefer not to." Hilda was moving into the kitchen, and she hadn't given Ancelote's nakedness another thought. She was pleased when Ancelote made the decision to stay nearly full time for a while, and even in two weeks, the application of more training was showing in Arizona. But though Hilda wouldn't directly admit it, she was lonely without Geoffrey to recount small things like that to.

Ancelote rubbed her neck as she followed Hilda into the kitchen. Her curiosity was starting to get the better of her and she knew that that alone had the power to keep her in the house that night. But that wasn't the only reason that she stayed. "No. I want to stay."

"I'm glad." Hilda went about taking a pudding of some sort that Geoffrey had left out of the fridge and reading the instructions he taped to the top of it. It was, in fact, shepherd's pie, but she wouldn't have known if it hadn't been at the top of the card. "You may kneel there," she said, nodding to the small breakfast table as she went to the oven.

Ancelote looked to where Hilda was pointing and knelt as gracefully as she could. It wasn't something that pony training had prepared her for or something that she had a lot of experience with before that, and she winced when she hit her knees a bit too hard.

"I'm not expecting perfection," Hilda said when she turned just in time to see Ancelote wince. "But I think we shall both have an enjoyable evening if you do your best."

"Of course." She blushed again. It wasn't as if she hadn't been trying to kneel without hurting herself. She settled where she was and waited, though that was harder than she expected it to be. As a pony, there was always something going on, something to do or look at or react to. Here, there was just watching Hilda make dinner, which was a little too routine to keep her interest and she found herself looking around the kitchen once more.

It didn't take long to warm the pie, and Hilda could see Ancelote's attention waning. She knew she should have expected as much. The redhead was one of her more attentive ponies, almost to the point of being high strung...though she was too conscious of herself to allow that. Hilda sat with her plate and let her hand graze the back of Ancelote's neck, through her curls. After she had eaten her a few bites herself, she lowered her fork to the woman's lips. Ancelote opened her mouth immediately and was almost overwhelmed by the warmth of the food. Almost everything that they ate in the barn was cold and flavorless and she moaned unconsciously.

Hilda chuckled, appreciating how seamlessly Ancelote had moved into being able to appreciate the richness of something so simple. She ran her fingers through her hair. "Good girl," she murmured.

Ancelote sighed and leaned into Hilda's leg, hoping for more of the pie but not knowing how to ask for it.

The meal did not take Hilda long, even with feeding part of it to Ancelote. She rinsed her dish and left it to put in the dishwasher in the morning and beckoned Ancelote to follow her to the living room. "I'm assuming that you have some sort of experience in thee sorts of things, as you did come to me through Therese," she said as she sat.

"Some," Ancelote nodded, answering as she walked. "Not a lot. I spent more time watching while I was at the club than I did participating. It didn't hold my interest."

"Is there another reason you agreed to stay tonight, then?" Hilda asked, raising her eyebrows. That was curious in a way. She knew some that preferred simply to watch, but those people rarely ended up in one of her stalls.

Anceolte met Hilda's eyes. "I like you," she shrugged, as if it didn't matter. "And I don't think that you'll be boring. I don't have the patience to kneel for hours on end with nothing to do and nothing to think about and it seems that, despite everything else that goes on, there is quite a bit of kneeling and doing nothing involved in being a sub in Paris. That isn't true out there," she nodded in the direction of the barn, "and I'm hoping that it won't be true here."

Hilda laughed lightly. She rather liked Ancelote's directness, and she very much understood the sentiments. She had never cared much for waiting either, but she had never been put in that place. "Mm, I've little use for any of that here," Hilda said finally as she took Ancelote's chin and drew her up into a kiss.

Ancelote opened her mouth under Hilda's, reaching up to wrap her arms around Hilda's neck. This wasn't a situation where she was used to being subservient and the excitement of getting to kiss Hilda for the first time was more than enough to make her forget herself. She was unconsciously trying to take over the kiss, pushing her tongue back against Hilda's and nipping at her lower lip.

She might have laughed at Ancelote's so obvious attempts, but Hilda was enjoying them too much. She pressed back, pushing the younger woman onto her back on the floor as she regained her own control over the kiss. Breathing hard, Ancelote looked up at Hilda and shifted underneath her. She enjoyed the physicality of being pinned to the floor, even as it made her want to resist, which she did. Ancelote tried to find some sort of purchase with which to push back or reverse their positions but there simple wasn't one available.

Hilda thought she had once chance to get Ancelote's hands, and she knew she needed to use it wisely. Though, she would at least partially admit to quite enjoying the resistance that Ancelote was offering. She twisted, taking one of the redhead's wrists and trying to capture the other to push them above her head. Hilda managed to grab her other wrist, but Ancelote was twisting it in her grip before Hilda could get it settled above her head. She used the tension in Hilda's muscles to lever her up and she started squirming away, though not too quickly. She wanted to be caught after all.

"Don't think I won't punish you for that," Hilda said as she caught Ancelote's hips and pulled her back into place.

At that, Ancelote smiled. She was firmly underneath Hilda now and her arms were well trapped above her head, so she stopped actively struggling, instead, merely flexing her arms against Hilda's grip.

"Better." Hilda pressed Ancelote's legs apart with her thigh and pushed against her. "But don't think for a moment that you'll enjoy it as much as this," she said as she bent to kiss her possessively.

Ancelote moaned into Hilda's mouth, still not entirely submitting to the kiss and actively trying to trap Hilda's tongue. As Hilda's thigh pressed into her, she arched her hips up and rubbed herself against the fabric of Hild'a pants. This wasn't boring at all. She let Hilda take over the kiss completely as she focused on pressing up against her leg. She moaned at the fabric rubbed against her clit and she started struggling against Hilda's hands again, wanting her arms free to wrap around the other woman.

Hilda held them tighter, pressing them down as she kissed Ancelote's jaw and her neck. "Mm, I certainly hope you don't think you're going to get to come like that," she whispered, nipping at Ancelote's earlobe.

Ancelote moaned in frustration and started twisting under Hilda, trying to increase the stimulation against her clit. "Do you think you're going to stop me?"

Smirking, she pulled her leg away slightly as she cocked her head. Hilda wanted to see what Ancelote would do.

Ancelote didn't think before she shifted under Hilda, wrapped her legs around the other woman's waist and trying to flip them over. She wasn't very good at being denied things and found that it was often easier to simply take them.

While Hilda struggled, Ancelote got what she wanted when she lost her balance and therefore her grip on the younger woman's arms. Hilda found herself on her back, drawing in a sharp breath. She was surprised at Ancelote's boldness even still, and her eyes flashed, daring the redhead to continue. Ancelote pressed herself down against Hilda's stomach and ran her hands up her chest, tugging her shirt up as she did. In her opinion, Hilda had remained clothed for far too long and she was going to do something about that.

Shivering under the touch, Hilda caught the redhead's wrists as it came off, and she wrapped the garment around them tightly. "Well?"

Ancelote purse her lips and pulled at the shirt, but it didn't budge. It didn't stop her from pressing herself against Hilda's stomach or leaning down to kiss her.

Hilda met the kiss, but she met it fiercely as she took Ancelote's hips, holding them tightly. Hilda rolled to the side, dumping Ancelote onto the floor and grabbing the back of her neck. "I think it's time to go upstairs."

Ancelote twisted her head, trying to get out of Hilda's grip even as Hilda was pulling her up by her collar. She was still scrambling to find her balance as Hilda dragged her toward the stairs.

When Hilda got her up to the bedroom, she replaced the collar from the barn with a thick, stiff posture collar, knowing Ancelote would not like the way it limited her movements. She kissed her once more, this time a bit more calmly. As she toyed with the shirt still wrapped around Ancelote's wrists, Hilda stepped back. "Mm, are you going to be good?" She doubted it, but Hilda wanted to see more of how Ancelote thought, how she would read the situation. And she always had cuffs...

"Probably not." Ancelote swallowed against the collar, trying to press it down or move it in some way and finding it was futile. There was no sense in lying and as good as she could be when she was a pony, she knew it would be hopeless in the house. She looked around the room, just taking it in and using the movement to distract Hilda from what she was doing with her hands. She spun around, her back to Hilda, as she finally got her hands free and when she turned again, she grabbed Hilda and kissed her before Hilda could realize what she had done.

Quickly, Hilda's gasp turned into a moan. She had had slaves misbehave before, but it had been a very long time. And she had never been with someone so audacious even in such a role. But she quickly recovered herself, grabbing Ancelote's hips for balance before pressing her back into the bed, forcing her down.

The bed was soft underneath her, and Ancelote bounded slightly before Hilda held her down. She was already twisting under Hilda's hands. "Please..." She wasn't sure if she was asking Hilda to let her do what she wanted, or to keep holding her down.

"I'm sure you're capable of something more coherent," Hilda murmured as she pressed her weight down onto Ancelote, straddling her, touching her everywhere but the places she wanted, needed to be touched. She was smirking to see Ancelote squirm, to see her flushed so prettily.

Ancelote shook her head and grabbed at Hilda again. "I... No." She pulled Hilda down, trying to get closer. She did want to be coherent. She didn't want to know what she wanted; she just wanted to act.

Hilda wouldn't be pulled. She slowly trailed her fingers down Ancelote's stomach, fully aware that the woman might shift, might throw her off again. When she reached the soft curls between the redhead's legs, she teased, twining them around her fingertips before they sprang back. "What was that?" she said evenly, almost nonchalantly.

"Just... please." She tried to flip Hilda again, but her heart wasn't really in it. She just wanted Hilda to do something. "Please. Do something. Anything."

"Mm." Hilda touched her but only lightly. She sat back on her heels to watch Ancelote's face, to try to discern what she really wanted.

Ancelote was getting frustrated and she finally just sat up and pushed Hilda back. She didn't mean to make her fall off of the bed, but she used the unexpected opportunity to climb on top of her.

When Hilda hit the floor, she grunted, but she ignored the slight pain it caused, knowing she would have to explain the bruises to Geoffrey--or not, depending on her mood. She reached up and twisted Ancelote's nipples hard between her fingertips but otherwise let her stay where she was. Ancelote hissed and grabbed Hilda's hands, pushing them over her head. The collar made bending down to kiss her hard, but she did it anyway. The kiss only lasted for a second before she had to pull away to breathe. Rather than trying to keep Hilda there by force, she started pulling at her pants, and as soon as they were unfastened, she pushed her hand under then and pushed her fingers into her.

Moaning, Hilda squirmed into the touch, but she lowered her arms to her sides, making it clear that she was there by choice. She kicked her pants off after some difficulty and finally ran a firm hand down Ancelote's sides. "Mm, while you finish, you can tell me how I should punish you."

Ancelote slid down, and though the angle was awkward, she started licking her and she pushed her fingers into her. She had no idea how Hilda should punish her, and in that moment, she wasn't thinking about.

Hilda grasped Ancelote's hair and pulled her back up, looking at her sternly. "That's not what I wanted from you," she said as she pulled her down into a kiss.

She whimpered into the kiss and kept fucking Hilda. "I... I don't know. I don't know." And there was a part of her that hated not knowing. She had always been expected to know the answers and she couldn't help but feel like a failure when she didn't. "Hit me, spank me, hurt me, fuck me, I don't know."

"I will," Hilda said, smirking as she ran her fingers through Ancelote's hair. She arched into the redhead's touch, already close and now willing to admit it.

"Please..." She rubbed Hilda's clit and pushed her fingers into her, already desperate for Hilda's touch.

As she came, Hilda pulled Ancelote close, digging her nails into her hips. She was silent, but her face showed her delight. But Hilda didn't let herself calm. She pushed Ancelote off of her and pulled her up by the back of her neck, pressing her over the bed. "Do as you're told and stay there." she said firmly.

Ancelote wanted to move and she started to stand up before she thought better of it. Surely Hilda wouldn't be gone for too long and she did have some capacity for patience.

When Hilda returned, she put her palm firmly in the middle of Ancelote's back and pushed her back down. Hilda was wearing a strap on, and as she bent down to whisper in Ancelote's ear, she pressed against her, making that clear. "Bad girl," she whispered before pulling away. In her other hand, Hilda had a small paddle, and she tested its weight before bringing it down against the back of Ancelote's thighs.

"Better," Hilda said as she watched Ancelote jump slightly. She hit her again before drawing back. "How many?" she asked, smirking down at Ancelote's already red skin.

"I..." The sting of the paddle felt just a good as the sting of a lash, and she didn't think Hilda would stand for another 'I don't know.' She bit her lip. She had been very bad. "30... 40..." She wasn't sure, but she was going to come up with a number.

At that, Hilda raised her eyebrows. She wondered if Ancelote would make it to thirty, but she began, each hit as firm as the one before it.

Not used to paddles, Ancelote was unprepared for how the pain built upon itself and got more and more intense. She was squirming after ten and crying after fifteen, but she didn't tell Hilda to stop.

At twenty, Hilda pulled away. She ran her fingers over Ancelote's skin, feeling the heat, and then the bent close, knowing this would be more punishment for the young woman than taking more hits. "I think that's enough."

Ancelote gasped through her tears, knowing that Hilda had stopped before she was even close to 30 , and she grabbed at the bed in frustration. "Please don't stop. _Please_."

"I said it was enough." Hilda Pulled Ancelote up and looked her in the eyes before kissing her fiercely, pressing her back into the closest wall before pushing the dildo into her.

"Harder. Please, harder." Ancelote gasped as she hit the wall and felt the dildo push into her. She arched back into it, even though Hilda's hand on her neck made it difficult.

Hilda saw no reason not to oblige. She was, after all, enjoying herself. She pressed harder, quicker and kissed Ancelote again, biting her bottom lip as she pulled away. "I wonder if it's in your nature to be so demanding," she growled.

Ancelote wrapped a leg around Hilda, grabbing at her and pushing into her thrusts. She would be sore the next day. She couldn't even remember the last time that she had had sex. It was always far too complicated for her and she spent so much time out at Hilda's stables anyway. She dug her nails into Hilda's shoulders. "You like that I'm demanding."

"Oh?" Hilda raised her eyebrows, slowing her thrusts. She bit back a hiss at the feel of Ancelote's nails biting into her skin, and she held back her smile. "Is that what I like?"

"Ohhh," Ancelote tried to push closer to Hilda, to recapture the intensity of a moment before. "You'd have taken me back outside if you didn't."

Finally smirking, Hilda pushed in hard, pinning Ancelote there. "You're very sure of yourself as well."

Ancelote's hands opened and closed on Hilda's shoulders as her eyes went wide. Hilda was so far inside of her that she couldn't think anymore. "Occupational hazard. Too much money to have doubts." She briefly wondered if Hilda could support her weight before she wrapped her other leg around her and pushed herself even further down onto the dildo.

"Then come for me," Hilda demanded, knowing she could only hold Ancelote so long. She liked the confidence, the attitude, but she wanted to see Ancelote so driven to distraction that all of it crumbled away. "Come for me."

The redhead bit her lip and nodded, She moved against Hilda, letting go with one hand to rub her own clit. She was already so close and it didn't take her long to start coming.

"Good...good girl," Hilda said, thrusting once more before sliding to the floor with Ancelote in her arms. She kissed the redhead again, still fierce, still commanding--a reminder to Ancelote that Hilda had allowed every moment of her rebellion. Ancelote opened her mouth under Hilda's, not offering any resistance. When the kiss ended, she nuzzled against Hilda, pressing close and needing to feel her skin. She knew that Hilda had controlled the entire situation, was still controlling it, and she was completely content with that.

"Mm," Hilda said after a long moment. "You need your rest. You've got a lesson in the morning." She carefully helped Ancelote up and patted the end of the bed before ridding herself of the strap on and climbing in.

Ancelote curled up at the end of the bed, covering herself with a light blanket and trying to get comfortable despite the high collar. She rested her head on her arm and looked up at Hilda. Her antics, and Hilda's subsequent response to them, had tired her out and she didn't think she would have any problem sleeping that night.


	5. Interlude

It wasn't yet light out, but Hilda woke all the same, as she did every day. She stretched, and as her own soreness seeped from her limbs, memories of the night came back to her. She smirked to see Arizona sleeping soundly at the end of the bed. "Up," Hilda said, tweaking her nipples after she'd slipped out of bed. Ancelote's eyes opened as soon as Hilda touched her and she slid off of the bed, following her.

First, Hilda unbuckled the collar. She left Ancelote there while she showered and dressed, however, knowing the young woman did not like to wait. And finally, she replaced the collar from the barn, still silent, before leading Ancelote downstairs and outside.

Ancelote didn't like waiting, but she had little choice, just as she had little choice to follow Hilda back outside. She had a feeling that she wouldn't get away with anything close to what she had done the night before. She smiled slightly at the feeling of grass under her feet again.

Kris pulled up the driveway a few minutes early, having agreed to do lessons at Hilda's for her ponies so they could take the real horses out for a ride in the afternoon. Hilda had a young stallion who was acting up and she wanted Kris's advice. She stopped her truck and stepped out, stretching slightly. It took her a moment to spot Hilda and Arizona approaching from the general direction of the house. Kris raised an eyebrow at the timing, but just waited for them to get to the barn as well. Arizona sighed under Hilda's touch. The walk down had loosened some of her muscles, but the soreness was still there, and she suspected she would be feeling it all day. Once her tack was settled, she flicked her tail and nuzzled against Hilda's hand.

Hilda was right, Kris didn't question her, going to the board by the tackroom to look at the lesson schedule for the day. She noted with interest, however, Arizona's still lightly red skin and stiffer than usual movements, filing it away so she didn't over-do the pony's work. She couldn't pretend she wasn't curious if this was a normal thing, but she and Hilda understood their boundaries. "Rami's having a lesson today?" When she worked at this barn, Hilda generally set up the lessons.

Hilda took a cube of sugar out of her pocket and let Arizona take it from her palm before handing the pony off to one of the grooms. Arizona happily submitted to her shower and being put back in her stall until Kris was ready for her. The night before had been a new experience and she almost believed that it hadn't happened. She wondered briefly if Hilda's husband would be jealous, but she dismissed the idea. If he let Hilda keep stables this extensive, she didn't think that there would be much he minded.

When Hilda walked over to the board, she was completely composed as she fell into the easy rapport with Kris. "Mm, yes. I spoke to Anas last night, and he thought the change of scenery might do Rami good."

Kris nodded, forcing herself not to grin at Hilda, keeping the conversation simple. "That's no problem. Do you have time to watch the lessons today?"

Hilda crossed her arms as she stared at the board thoughtfully. "Some of them, yes," she murmured. "But we should switch Emerald with Peaseblossom..." She reached up and erased with her hand before picking up a piece of chalk to put Peaseblossom's name under Rami's. "I don't want her meeting Rami along the way." She smiled knowingly at Kris as they both remembered what had happened the last time Emerald and Rami met. It was business as usual, and Hilda had already put the night behind her.


	6. Public

It was one of those annoying spring days that appeared after a string of beautiful days that felt more like they were heading back into winter than forward into summer. But it wasn't so cold or rainy that it dissuaded her from her plans, which included spending several hundred euros on a new summer wardrobe. She scampered from store to store, trying to avoid getting wet from the occasional showers and it was a one of those showers she was escaping as she ducked into the lingerie store and took a deep breath.

The ring of the bell sounded distant to Hilda as she was in the back being measured. It had been a long time, but she was pleased to have rediscovered the store. The attendant, however, was having a bit of difficulty reconciling the types of things Hilda liked and the things she wanted to sell. So, the blonde found herself walking forward to the front of the store to pull her own examples. She was sure the attendant would be replaced as soon as the management saw.

Ancelote was brushing loose tendrils of wet hair out of her eyes, and her arms were draped with bags. It took no time for an attendant to appear and start taking them from her, ferrying them back to a dressing room. It was then that she saw Hilda approaching, though clearly Hilda hadn't noticed her yet, and she couldn't stop herself from blushing. It was only a matter of time.

"Mademoiselle Brun." Hilda almost smirked when she saw Ancelote there, her hair a very lovely mess. She sauntered to her even as she fingered the lace on a deep green teddy that she thought Geoffrey would rather like. She kissed both of Ancelote's cheeks lightly. "You've gotten quite wet."

"Madame," Ancelote returned the kiss. "I have, yes. Clearly I should have brought an umbrella, but I thought it unnecessary when I left home." She tried not to think about just what Hilda might be shopping for and how much she might enjoy seeing it.

"Well..." Hilda enjoyed Ancelote's bright eyes, she realized, every bit as much as she enjoyed Arizona's. The difference was that seeing Ancelote there, only just disheveled by the rain, threatened to make her wet, where seeing Arizona simply made her proud. "One can hardly blame you. The weather has been playing tricks on us." She gently took Ancelote by the elbow and began to guide her through the store, now looking at things she thought might suite the redhead.

"So it has." Ancelote didn't protest at Hilda's touch, instinctively allowing the other woman to take over. "It looked as if it was going to be beautiful this morning. I was able to have breakfast on my balcony, and now this," she gestured toward the store's front window where the rain was now coming down hard.

"There are worse ways to spend an afternoon." Whether Hilda had indicated it somehow or the staff simply sensed a change in the air, they were left mostly to their own devices. And Hilda was taking things off of racks at her leisure.

"Indeed. I do enjoy shopping." This was not the experience that Ancelote was used to when she came to this particular store, having enjoyed the attentions of the staff in the past. But, it seemed as if Hilda was happy to do their jobs for them, as she couldn't imagine Hilda ever wearing that shade of pink.

The dressing room in which Hilda had been measured was the most spacious in the store, and she led Ancelote back to it as she said, "It is so wonderful to run into a friend this way." And the tone of her voice indicated that the comment was not for Ancelote's benefit. As soon as the door clicked closed behind them she sat and looked the redhead over. "Mm, well. Undress."

Ancelote chuckled. "You presume quite a bit. This doesn't look much like a stable and I wasn't aware that I agreed to submit to you whenever we happened to run into each other." She was getting undressed nonetheless. She couldn't very well try on anything still clothed.

"And yet you blush when you see me." Hilda smirked. "You're certainly free to go, Ancelote." She was dangling the pink garment from her fingers.

Ancelote rolled her eyes and took the lingerie from Hilda. "Yes, yes, of course." She shook her head as she dressed, then turned to let Hilda see her.

"Is there some reason I shouldn't be?" She looked down at herself, then in the mirror. "I don't know that the color suits."

"It doesn't." Hilda stood and began to undress Ancelote, carefully brushing her fingers along her shoulder, down her back. "I think perhaps green or blue..."

"I can't just stay with black or cream?" She would admit that she wasn't particularly adventurous when it came to her underthings, though she did want them to be nice. She shivered as Hilda touched her and allowed herself to be undressed.

"No," Hilda replied simply. She ran her fingertips over Ancelote's nipples before picking another garment from the small pile. There was every chance that she would never see Ancelote in her underthings again, but she was certainly going to enjoy dictating what they were.

Ancelote sighed at the touch and took the next outfit from Hilda. It was a lovely shade of green, even if it was a bit more transparent than she would normally wear. "You do like being in charge, don't you?"

"It comes naturally," Hilda said, as if that in itself should have been obvious to Ancelote.

As she fastened her bra, Ancelote laughed then turned to Hilda. "I should have known. You've been bossing people around since you were a child, eh?" She leaned in and snuck a kiss before Hilda could do anything about it.

As a mild punishment, Hilda ran her fingers between Ancelote's legs, through her short curls and just lightly across her clit before handing her the matching panties. "I was hardly that much of a brat, I think."

Ancelote shivered at the touch, then slipped the panties on. "Yes, I think these look much better."

"As do I." Hilda smiled as she leaned in, kissing Ancelote quickly. "But there's quite a bit more here."

"Do you mean for me to try on all of them?" She raised her eyebrows. "When there are much more interesting things we could be doing..." She unhooked the bra and pulled it off, then slowly pushed the panties down.

"I hardly thought you so brave," she teased as she stepped close to Ancelote and put her hands on her waist. Black and cream were beautiful, and Arizona was a quick study who would go above and beyond. But what she had seen from Ancelote that day was rather safe. She ran her palm up Ancelote's side, up her neck and to her hair, pulling it down from its bun.

"You pulled me in here just to play dress up then?" Ancelote shook out her hair. It curled in the humidity but it felt good to have it down. She leaned back against Hilda and twisted her head around to kiss Hilda's cheek.

"I'd certainly hate to ruin my rapport with this establishment." She took Ancelote's chin and turned her head back, making her face herself in the mirror. Then she began to touch her lightly, tweaking her nipples. "So I suppose any misconduct will simply have to be blamed upon you."

Ancelote heard the warning and nodded. "Of course." She squirmed under Hilda's fingers, already wet and wanting. It might be hard for her to remain silent, but it wasn't impossible. She didn't want her relationship with the shop ruined either.

"Good girl," Hilda whispered, breath hot against Ancelote's neck. She pressed two fingers into the redhead from behind and continued to circle her clit.

Sighing, Ancelote pushed back into touch. It was the kind of sure touch that she normally associated with Hilda, though Ancelote wished that she were willing to do such things to her while she was a pony. "I do like being good for you."

"That's hardly," Hilda said before nipping underneath Ancelote's ear, "what it seemed like when last we enjoyed each other's company."

"There's a difference between being obedient and being good. I think you quite enjoyed my version of being good." She pushed down harder onto Hilda's fingers, clenching her muscles around them.

That was exactly the sort of response that Hilda had been looking for, and as a reward, she began to thrust more firmly. "You can come, Ancelote," Hilda whisper, voice smoky, "if you can do so entirely quietly."

Ancelote nodded and pressed herself against Hilda's fingers. Without asking, she started touching her own breasts, rubbing her nipple and pinching them as she bit her lip. As long as Hilda kept touching her, it wouldn't take her long to come, just as Hilda wanted.

"Is there anything with which I can help, your ladyship," a voice, following a knock, said from behind the door. Hilda continued to touch Ancelote lightly. "No...I don't think so. Mademoiselle Brun, are you in need of anything?"

Ancelote swallowed and squirmed. "No- No. Thank you." Her breath caught as she finished speaking. The tension caused by the attendant's sudden appearance was enough to push her over the edge. She squeaked slightly as she came, shuddering as she leaned back into Hilda and let her hold her weight.

Almost before Ancelote had finished, Hilda pulled her fingers away. She steadied the redhead, but she did not hold her close. "Mm. I told you to be quiet."

"I..." She swallowed, trying to collect herself. For once, she hadn't been trying to be disobedient, and she wasn't prepared for whatever Hilda decided was an appropriate punishment. "I'm sorry."

"Naturally." She kissed Ancelote's hair and pulled away, pulling the redhead down over her knees as she sat. Hilda ran her fingertips over Ancelote's perfect skin. "You'll do better in being quiet this time."

"Oh God," Ancelote whispered. She wasn't sure how Hilda was going to mask the sound of the spanking, but she was going to let Hilda worry about that. "Yes, Hilda."

Hilda wasn't going to bother, and she would dare anyone to question her about it. She began, bringing her hand down flat against Ancelote's ass. And she continued without counting, letting the redhead squirm on her lap.

Ancelote bit her lip and squirmed, using that to distract herself from the pain rather than crying out. She grabbed Hilda's leg to steady herself and pressed her ass up, encouraging Hilda to continue.

Fifteen was Hilda's limit. Even she would not push her luck in such a public place, and Ancelote had behaved admirably. She stopped suddenly and ran her hands over Ancelote's reddened skin. "Mm. Good girl. You've done well."

"Thank you." Ancelote sucked in a breath and slid to the floor, resting her head against Hilda's thigh as she composed herself. "Thank you." She didn't know just what she was thanking Hilda for, the orgasm or the spanking, but she thought it might be for latter.

Smiling, Hilda ran her fingers through the redhead's curls. "Enjoy the rest of your day," she said as she rose, gathering the things she wished to purchase, among them the green garments that Ancelote had tried.

"You as well." Ancelote was still catching her breath, still sitting on the floor when Hilda left and she really hoped that the sales people thought too much of the fact that she didn't leave with Hilda. She noticed that Hilda had collected the underthings she had been wearing and wondered just when they were going to be reappearing.


	7. Interlude

A pair of sharp, blue eyes darted about the stables and finally settled upon Hilda's back as it receded from her view. The blonde was leaving the stables for the night, as she did at that time every night. Once the grooms were gone, their gaze swept the aisle, which was then only lit with dim lamps. Ears listened for the breathing of the few ponies left for the night to settle into sleep, and finally, the form stepped lightly across the worn brick and into the darkened tackroom. Within minutes a pony emerged, a few buckles from its newly-donned leather catching the low lights as it silently moved to an unused stall. The sound of chalk on the nameplate was an unavoidable noise before the pony stepped inside. The wooden door slid gradually closed, and the latch clicked only lightly into place. The only other movement in the stable to compliment the covert act was a casual flick of a horse's ear in the direction of the satisfied sigh that emanated from the stall as it's occupant settled into the straw to wait for the morning.


	8. Via

The dew would have just begun to burn off if not for the storm the night before as Hilda stomped the mud off of her boots before entering the small stable for the ponies. She had just finished with their equine counterparts, giving them a precious extra bit of sleep before coming in for her usual morning walk through. The two grooms dedicated to their care, Agathe and Edgard, were already busy...so much so that it seemed they were avoiding her. Hilda looked in Peaseblossom's stall to see her already up, patiently waiting there, knowing Hilda would look. A barn kitten had somehow gotten in and was rubbing itself against Peaseblossom's legs; the pony was doing an admirable job ignoring it.

"Edgard," Hilda called, "haven't I asked you to see to that spot where the kitten keeps coming in? It's hardly..." Her voice trailed off as she caught movement in a stall that had been empty for several weeks. She stepped forward, looking for one of the larger cats only to find a blonde haired pony, stirring awake. She furrowed her brow. "What the hell is going on?" she called, arms crossed as she stood in front of the stall. Edgard shrugged, mumbling that she had been there when he arrived, and he quickly made himself scarce.

Hilda turned her gaze back to the pony, who was properly tacked and now standing, blinking with large blue eyes. As she pulled out her phone, she barely noted that the nameplate had been filled. Hilda dialed Kris, and the moment the woman picked up, she began speaking. "Are you already on your way here?"

Kris was pulling up the drive when her phone rang. Hilda's tone was even more insistent than usual and she readied herself for an interesting day. "I'm pulling up now." She parked and walked into the barn, noting only slightly that Hilda had hung up on her as she put her phone away. Kris tilted her head as she regarded the blond staring into one of the stalls, "Morning, survive the storm?"

Hilda did not turn towards Kris and only looked up briefly to acknowledge her arrival. She uncrossed her arms, moving her hands firmly to her hips. "Is today some sort of French holiday that I've forgotten about...something like All Fools Day or...God, what day is it?" She shook her head, incredulous.

Kris considered the question, "Not that I'm aware of, last time I checked June 24th was an average day." She stepped up beside Hilda and looked into the stall with her, "New pony?" She was past being overly surprised at seeing new faces in the other blonde's barn.

"No...absolutely not." Hilda's voice went from incredulous to indignant. She pursed her lips as the pony's infuriating stare persisted.

Kris looked more confused, "It looks like a new pony."

Hilda's disbelief thickened, and she answered more shortly, "She's not."

Kris glanced again, "But if she's not, why is she in your barn?" She was sure there was some perfectly logical explanation for everything.

"Sgu," she said, exasperated as she shook her head. "Det ved jeg sgu ikke!" Finally, Hilda turned to Kris, looking absolutely at a loss.

Still as confused as ever, Kris stepped back slightly, but her nature took over in the situation. Hilda seemed genuinely upset, so Kris took a breath, "Why...why don't you go ahead with your day for a bit?" Hilda rarely looked rattled, and Kris knew when to step in. "I'm here to do lessons today anyway…let me see what I can figure out?" There never was a dull moment since she met Hilda, and the blond didn't see why that should change any time soon.

Hilda made to protest, but closed her mouth quickly. The suggestion might have offended her coming from anyone else, but Kris simply had a way with people. "I'm going to have some coffee. I...suppose her being here implies her consent, so...do as you will," she said, straightening, trying to regain her sense of composure.

Kris nodded slightly as Hilda turned and walked off down the stall row. She looked back at the girl in front of her, who had remained remarkably silent and patient throughout the previous exchange. She was medium height, with a slender and almost wiry build. Kris got the impression she'd be very difficult to beat at the races—_that_, at least, Hilda might appreciate.

The trainer slid the stall door open and stepped inside to look her over more closely while she gave the compulsory speech, "You seem to know what you're doing here, even if Hilda doesn't. Still, I need to know that no one's forcing you. If you want to leave, the door is open." She stepped back, not really expecting the blond to run.

Via looked at the door and looked back at Kris, seeming almost bored. The trainer was someone she had come to know through watching the goings on of Hilda's stables in the past week, but she hadn't been there nearly as much as Hilda or the grooms. So, she was still something of an unkown quantity, someone of interest. Via blinked thoughtfully and took a step towards Kris instead of the door.

Kris smiled lightly and retrieved a lead from the stall next door. Adding one more lesson to the day was really no issue, though Hilda's near dismay, and Via's calm acceptance were definitely at odds with one another. Still, as she led the blonde from the stall she couldn't help but note that the tack she wore definitely belonged to Hilda, and hoped her friend hadn't taken to getting blanks in memory.


	9. Trick

Geoffrey stepped out of the house and into the sunshine. It had been raining for days and now that it was clear, he couldn't stand the thought of staying inside. Hilda has been out at the stables since at least dawn, but he had longer nights than she did, and had never really seen the point of getting up so early. Still, the gravel crunching under his feet brought a smile to his face as he stepped up to a fence and climbed up onto it. Hilda was just beyond, riding.

And while Hilda had seen him approaching, she merely nodded in Geoffrey's direction and concentrated on taking mental notes as she completed her circle. The new mare would need to go to Kris, and Hilda wanted to have details ready when she next spoke to the trainer. It was only after she dismounted and handed Simmonet off to a groom that she turned her full attention to her husband and offered a slight smile. "You're up earlier than expected," she said as she walked over.

"Some days are just too beautiful to sleep through." Geoffrey jumped down from the fence and slid a hand onto Hilda's hip, leaning in for a quick kiss. "You smell like horses and leather." And it wasn't a scent he minded in the least.

"Imagine that," she replied, smirking. "I was just on my way to check the ponies...come along?"

"Of course." Ponies weren't really his thing, but he wasn't going to deny Hilda anything that made her happy. And he could be persuaded to enjoy himself occasionally. He offered Hilda his arm, and headed toward the stables.

It both amused and delighted Hilda that he indulged her whims. Though, naturally, they would not be married if he could not tolerate how extensive her stables had become. The income she earned from the auctions and from stabling others' ponies wasn't as noteworthy as what she spent for training and tack and other things. But she enjoyed the day to day work involved and the aesthetics, and she enjoyed that Geoffrey easily took every moment of it in strike. Hilda took his arm, caressing it lightly. "Good night at the shop?" she asked. She had been asleep when he came home.

As they entered, Hilda scanned the aisle for anything that might be out of place. She trusted her grooms, but the new pony, Via, was proving to be quite an escape artist.

"Very." Geoffrey took Hilda's hand from his arm and kissed her fingers. "There was a minimal amount of stupidity. Are you aware that one of your ponies is sitting up in the rafters?" Geoffrey was looking up at the blonde sitting almost directly over his head, swinging her feet.

Hilda followed his gaze and bit back a gasp at the sight of Via there. It would have been nearly impossibly for anyone to get to the middle of a beam like that, and Hilda was already thinking about how impossible it was going to be to get her down. She pursed her lips, gaze still on the blonde as she put her hands on her hips. "That's very curious, as I don't think ponies can climb quite that well," she said, loud enough for Via to hear.

Geoffrey was trying not to chuckle, well aware of just how upset Hilda was likely to become. "She's, um, certainly creative. Maybe you should turn her into a pet monkey."

"I've heard they're quite a nuisance," Hilda said, half under her breath. Via looked quite proud of herself, and Hilda was beginning to question why she simply hadn't thrown her out the day she showed up. "If she got up there, she can get herself down," she said finally as she turned her gaze back to Geoffrey.

Geoffrey finally allowed himself a chuckle. "I'm not even going to ask how you found yourself a circus performer." He wandered over to one of the other stalls and gazed in. "She's very pretty."

"My dear, I think you say that every time you see Peaseblossom," Hilda said, smiling as she let go of Geoffrey's arm to take a lead from its hook. And she needs to be turned out. Hilda slid the stall door open and spoke to Peaseblossom in Danish in soft half whispers. The pony came without protest and stood gracefully as Hilda clipped the lead to her halter. She led her out into the aisle and turned her for Geoffrey. "And it's time that she was turned out," she said as she stroked her dark hair.

Geoffrey reached out and stroked Peaseblossom's hair. "I think you're right about that." He let one of his hands drift down to brush over one of her nipples.

Peaseblossom only shifted slightly into the touch, but both of her nipples hardened, betraying her enjoyment. "You'll spoil her." Hilda chuckled lightly until she heard a soft thud in the hay in Peaseblossom's stall. When she turned, Via was standing there, large blue eyes blinking as she stepped forward. Hilda frowned. "No turnout for you; you've a lesson soon," she said matter of factly as she shut the stall door.

"And that's why you do this and I don't. I'm too much of a soft touch." Geoffrey smirked, winking at Via at Hilda closed the stall door. "I'll take her." Geoffrey took Peaseblossom's lead and started walking out of the stables.

"Be good," Hilda called, not making it clear whether she was speaking to the man or the pony. She turned back to Via and put her hands on her hips. "Now, let's so about getting those restraints tightened."

Geoffrey turned the pony out, slapping her ass as she went, before he headed back into the stables. Hilda was still in the stall with Via, so he took the opportunity to look around and see if there were any other new ponies. None particularly caught his attention, though that would have been difficult after Via's stunt. He wondered why Hilda put up with it.

Hilda finished and led Via back to her stall. She didn't want to know how the blonde had gotten up there without breaking her neck, but she was certain that there would be no further incident with the tighter cuffs. When she closed and locked the door she turned back to Geoffrey, putting her hands on his chest. "Have you anything to do this afternoon?"

"Nothing at all. I've taken the day." He leaned into Hilda's hands, tilting his head down slightly to look at her, though there wasn't much of a height difference between them. "Did you have something in mind?"

"Nothing at all...and that's the beauty of it," she replied, taking his hand and leading him back towards the house


	10. Cadeau

The dinner party Hilda had arranged for Geoffrey's birthday had, she had to admit, been more a politically social event than either of them would have liked. But she preferred to use such occasions as chances to fulfill what was expected of her as far as her role in Parisian society extended, and it justified the townhouse that they so rarely used. Such events were necessary, but she made it a point to make up for them later with real surprises tailored to Geoffrey or whomever else the unfortunate recipient of one of her dinner parties might have been. For her husband, her plans could not come to fruition until a week or so later, as his artistic skills were in high demand, but she was certain, as she walked into a bedroom downstairs and saw the Peaseblossom had been well transformed into Meriam Roux, a rather bright doctoral candidate and sometimes willing slave, that he would appreciate it. The girl had consented, and Geoffrey had taken a fancy to her, so Hilda only thought it natural to indulge him with a night that he would appreciate more than watching Peaseblossom train. She offered only a small smile as she buckled a delicate gold collar around Meriam's neck and attached a matching leash. "Very pretty," she murmured as she took a last, long look before leading the girl out to the terrace where Geoffrey was enjoying the evening air.

The terrace was one of Geoffrey's favorite places this time of year, when the setting sun didn't take so much of the heat that it wasn't comfortable anymore. He was sipping a glass of champagne while he waited for Hilda's surprise and he smiled broadly when he heard the door to the terrace open. "So, what's this present that's going to make up for that dreadful dinner party?" He didn't bother to turn towards Hilda, assuming that she would be joining him in one of the lounge chairs in a moment anyway.

"I should be hurt that you hate my dinner parties so much." Hilda simply dropped the leash into Geoffrey's lap, Meriam kneeling at his feet, at she sat down. She rarely indulged in such scenes, bringing her ponies out of their roles, but for Geoffrey, she was more willing than she let on.

"But you're not, because you hate them as much as I do," Geoffrey said as the weight of the leash hit his lap. He raised his eyebrows in genuine surprise as he followed its line to Meriam. Once there, he smiled expansively. "For me?" He already knew that answer.

"For you." Hilda leaned across the divide between them and kissed him lightly. "For the night...to do as you like."

"What a wonderful present." Geoffrey ran his fingers through Meriam's hair. "And I take back anything back I've ever said about that dinner party. It was worth it, completely."

Hilda laughed lightly. In truth, it was as much of a reward for Meriam as it was a present for Geoffrey. She was by far Hilda's most accomplished pony. And that poise extended even to that very moment as Hilda watched her lean slightly into Geoffrey's touch. "Oh, do stop it. What shall you do with her?"

"I... I don't have any idea." He poured Hilda a glass of champagne. "I'm going to have to think for a moment, but for now, I'm just going to let her sit there while we finish this champagne." He leaned over to pull Hilda into a longer kiss, marveling at how very lucky he had gotten.

"Mm. An excellent plan." Hilda tasted the champaign in Geoffrey's kiss before taking a sip. She crooked her finger to Meriam, and the brunette shifted, situating herself between the two of them. Hilda ran her fingers through her curls, deciding that Geoffrey wouldn't mind.

"Mmhmm." Geoffrey enjoyed watching Hilda interact with other people, though not as much as he enjoyed actually taking part. Still, there was something about the way that Hilda touched Meriam... A slow heat was already starting to build in the pit of his stomach and he wanted to savor it. "Do you have any suggestions? You have spent more time with her than I have."

"Hardly in this capacity," Hilda replied. And it was true. Some ponies requested scenes with grooms. Some had masters and mistresses who paid well for use of her property to watch or take part in such scenes. But Hilda preferred filling her time with the day to day aspects of seeing that the ponies were properly trained and such. She had favorites though--as Arizona had been brought to the house several times. "Meriam, I believe you've yet to thank me for choosing you tonight." Hilda smiled as the woman looked up at her through her lashes and moved to kneel between her legs. She looked to Geoffrey, knowing he would enjoy watching the little spectacle as he finished his drink. And she settled into her chair with a contended sigh as Meriam gently pushed her skirt up and pulled her lace panties down fair enough so that she could begin licking her delicately.

Geoffrey turned in his chair to better watch Meriam and Hilda. He fully intended to take his time that night and this was an excellent way to start the evening. He leaned in and kissed Hilda again, but only for a moment, not wanting to take her attention away Meriam.

"Mm." Hilda let a hand fall to Meriam's head and brought her glass to her lips with the other. The brunette anticipated her mood perfectly and was taking her time, running long, soft strokes with her tongue.

Geoffrey topped off both of their glasses. If someone had asked him when he was in university what the odds were that he would be spending his 43rd birthday at a country estate in France watching some other woman have sex with his wife, he would have started laughing at '43rd birthday' and probably punched someone by the time they got to 'wife'. And yet, somehow it had worked out that way. He wondered if it was too early in the season to go swimming at night, then resolved to have Meriam test the water for him.

A shiver went through Hilda to her core, and she came quietly, opening her mouth in a silent moan. When she opened her eyes, Meriam was sitting back on her heels, patiently waiting further instructions or content to stay as she was.

Geoffrey stood and ran his hands through Meriam's hair one more time, but he addressed Hilda. "Do you think it's too cool to go swimming?" He loved the water, and as nice as the baths at the club in Paris were, they didn't visit often and it just wasn't the same as actually being able to swim.

"I'm not sure," Hilda said. She shifted in her chair, sighing lazily as she let her fingertips graze one of the tattoos on his arm.

"Well, I think there's an easy way to find out." He unclipped Meriam's leash, but left the collar. Tossing the leash onto his chair, he picked the girl up and carried her toward the pool. "Be good and tell me how cold the water is." He kissed her forehead, then dropped her into the pool.

Hilda heard Meriam shriek in surprise, and she hoped to God the younger woman could swim. She sat up expectantly, relieved when the brunette surfaced. "It's pleasant," she heard Meriam say.

Geoffrey turned to Hilda, smiling at her. "Pleasant," he echoed. He unbuttoned his shirt just enough to pull it over his head and once it was off, he tossed it onto his chair. "Care to join us?"

She got up and sauntered over, merely slipping her shoes off and putting them in the water as she leaned forward to stroke Meriam's wet curls. "I think here is fine."

Geoffrey rolled his eyes and pulled his own shoes off. "You," He said as he dropped a kiss into her head, "are no fun at all." He dipped a toe in the water, confirming Meriam's assessment, then pulled his pants off, adding them to the pile. Once he was completely naked, he jumped over Meriam's head, diving into the water.

Meriam flinched, calming herself after she shook off the splash Geoffrey made. And Hilda merely chuckled as she watched. "I'd hardly call bringing my prized pony up for the night for your benefit 'no fun'," Hilda replied.

Geoffrey shook the water from his hair, running a hand over his face. "Well, I suppose not." He swam back over to them, wrapping his arms around Meriam and pulling her back against his chest. He kissed the side of her neck, just over her collar. "She is incredibly beautiful."

"Yes, I'm quite aware." Hilda watched with interest, wishing only that she had a cigarillo.

He chuckled. "Well, we never have to worry about your ego." He was running his hands over Meriam's body under the water. He pinched one of her nipples, rolling it between his fingers, causing the girl to gasp and press back into him.

Hilda watched thoughtfully, moving her legs in the water, pressing them together as she slowly grew wet again. "Are you going to toy with her all night, or are you going to take her?"

"Well, I thought that I might toy with her for a bit." He smirked up at Hilda, "But there's no reason that I can't do that later." Geoffrey turned Meriam in his arms, pulling her legs up around her waist.

"As you like..." But Hilda was leaning forward to watch, eyes trained on Meriam's back.

"I just think that you're impatient." A few strong kicks later and they were at the edge of the pool, Geoffrey lifting Meriam onto the top step. The water lapped around her legs as Geoffrey stood below her, tilting her hips toward him. As wet as she was, it was ridiculously easy to push into her.

Hilda listened to Meriam's moan and shivered lightly. "Impatient? Hardly," she scoffed.

"Really?" Geoffrey looked over his shoulder at her, even as he was pushing into Meriam. "Because I think that if I told Meriam that I didn't want her to come until I told her to, she would do everything that she could to obey me." He smiled down at Meriam, kissing her gently before he looked back to Hilda. "But I don't know that you could do the same."

The blonde licked her lips even as she narrowed her eyes. She liked a challenge, but she did not appreciate being pitted against one of her ponies. But even as she spoke, she was slipping her hand underneath her skirt, watching the two intently. "Mm, and when have I ever submitted to you...or anyone else for that matter?"

"Well, there was that night during our honeymoon," Geofrey smirked. It was a good memory. "And I still don't have a good grasp on just what you and Therese did together..." He was intently watching the progress of her hand, temporarily distracted enough to forget about Meriam.

"And nor will you," she retorted. Hilda was touching herself lightly, enjoying prolonging the moment as she watched Meriam squirming and moaning in Geoffrey's arms.

"Well, I'd still bet that Meriam can hold out longer than you can." He kissed Meriam throughly, turning his attention back to her. Give a real bet, with other people involved, there was no way that the would have wagered against Hilda, knowing precisely how determined she could be and having an idea of just how high Therese's standards were. But she was very fun to goad, and he was looking forward to losing.

She glared at him, daring him to go through with it.

Geoffrey looked down at Meriam. "You're going to be a very good girl for me aren't you?" At her nod, he turned back to Hilda. "Well?" He didn't bother to discuss terms, knowing that there was really only one thing worth winning or forfeiting.

"I think you'll find yourself disappointed," she replied, even as she arched into her own touch.

"You can come after she does." Geoffrey smirked at Meriam. He knew that even if he lost, it wouldn't be a disappointment. He started rubbing Meriam's clit as he fucked her, thinking that it was only fair. She did, after all, have more immediate experience with this sort of thing.

Hilda smirked as she watched, touching herself only lightly and pausing often. Perhaps it wasn't fair, but she didn't have anyone to answer too. And Meriam, she knew, hated to lose, making it all the better.

Meriam was doing everything that she could to postpone her orgasm, but Geoffrey's fingers on her clit and the way he felt inside of her were making it incredibly difficult. She bit her lip and dug her nails into her palm, anything to distract herself, but it simply wasn't working. She looked over to Hilda, trying to judge how close the other woman was and in an instant knew that she wasn't going to win. It was no secret that she was attracted to Hilda, craving her touches and approval inside the barn, but she had never expected that she would get to see her like this, even if she wasn't the one causing it. Her quick cost-benifit analysis told her that resisting any long just wasn't worth it. She wrapped herself around Geoffrey and pressed up into his thrusts, welcoming her orgasm as it washed through her body.

Hilda slowly allowed herself to come, even though she could have waited longer. She was silent, breaths quick as she shuddered. And when she opened her eyes, there was a haze around everything. She smiled. "Well, that settles that."

Perplexed at how he had been the only one of the three not to come, Geoffrey looked between Meriam and Hilda. Something hadn't worked out quite the way he had planned. He kissed Meriam gently, knowing that it wasn't really her fault that she lost and not particularly wanting to punish her for it. "So it seems, though I think, perhaps, the deck was stacked against me."

"Meriam, I believe you should compensate Geoffrey," Hilda said as she placed both hands flat on the concrete and leaned back. She waited for Geoffrey to move to the side of the pool, Meriam following.

Geoffrey happily did as Hilda indicated, sliding onto the deck and pulling Meriam close for another kiss before she dropped her head to his lap. He leaned back, sighing in contentment as Meriam took him into her mouth. He was only vaguely paying attention to what Hilda was doing, as he was already incredibly close and focused entirely on that.

Hilda kept her eyes on Geoffrey's face, watching intently for a moment before she stood. She carefully removed each piece of her clothing before slipping into the water and wetting her hair.

With a jerk, Geoffrey came, sagging back onto his elbows. He ran his fingers though Meriam's hair, thanking her. It was only then that he saw Hilda, and another moan escaped his lips. "God, Hilda." He slid into the water and started swimming toward her, Meriam following.

Hilda was smirking. "Yes, Geoffrey?"

"You look like you could use some company." Geoffrey wrapped his arms around Hilda, pulling her into a kiss.

She kissed him back but only lightly before pulling back. "Do I? Mm, I thought I was doing quite well." It wasn't generally in Hilda's nature to tease, but Geoffrey brought it out in her for some reason.

Geoffrey let her go. "If that's how you feel about it, Meriam and I can go inside..."

"Is that what you want?" Hilda looked past him to Meriam. Geoffrey never particularly used a firm hand, and if he wanted the young woman to speak, Hilda certainly wouldn't undermine _that_ part of his authority.

"I..." Meriam didn't exactly know how to answer. Part of her wanted to stay, but she was supposed to be there for Geoffrey that night, and she always wanted to be good. It was almost as important to her as winning.

"I've never known you to hesitate," Hilda said, voice thick with want.

Geoffrey crossed his arms over his chest. "If I tell her to come inside, she will. Unless you're going to collect on that bet tonight..." At which point he wouldn't be making anyone do anything.

"Perhaps," Hilda raised her arms and wrapped them around him, "but I'd hate to send you inside when it's so nice out." She wrapped her legs around him.

"Mmm," Geoffrey moaned and wrapped his arms around Hilda. "Maybe if you ask nicely, I'll stay..." He nuzzled against Hilda's neck, almost entirely forgetting about Meriam.

"If I ask nicely?" She raised her eyebrows and pressed against him. "Please," Hilda whispered against his ear, smirking. She could see Meriam watching with interest.

"Well, alright." He slid one hand down to cup Hilda's ass and pull her hips more tightly against his owns.

She moaned softly as he slid into her and beckoned Meriam forward. When she came, Hilda pulled her into a kiss, keeping her there, pressed against Geoffrey, for a long moment.

Caught between the two of them, Geoffrey was incredibly happy, and watching them kiss only increased his arousal. Meriam squirmed against his back, pressing into Hilda's kiss and simply trying to get closer. She pressed her knees into his side, above Hilda's legs and clung to him. He certainly seemed like he would be able to hold both of them up.

Hilda reached between her legs again and touched her clit. It wouldn't take long, and she didn't want to prolong it with the entire night ahead of them.

Geoffrey pressed his fingers into Hilda's hips, Meriam's extra weight and the water making it more difficult for him to move quickly. But he nipped at Hilda's neck and collarbone, and rubbed her nipples trying to help her along.

Meriam watched intently; she had rarely gotten to see Hilda let go, and even that night it had been quiet controlled. She wondered if there was more, if the blonde allowed more. And she was rewarded when Hilda threw her head back and let out a soft, long moan as her body shuddered.

"Mm. Shall we go inside, then?" Hilda straightened and put her head on Geoffrey's shoulder to catch her breath.

"I think it's time, yes..." He shook his shoulders and Meriam slid off. His arms were still around Hilda as he headed toward the steps and he lifted her out of the water when they got there, trusting Meriam to follow them.

Hilda tossed Geoffrey a towel before wrapping one around herself. She trusted him to dry Meriam as he saw fit, but she was taking quite a bit of delight in seeing the naked brunette that way.

Geoffrey dried himself before he turned to Meriam, considering just how dry he wanted to get her. In the end, he did little more than squeeze some of the water from her hair. She might be a bit cold inside, but she would quickly air dry, and Hilda seemed to be enjoying the view before she turned to lead them back to the house.

Inside, Hilda unwrapped her towel and squeezed her own her thoughtfully. "You haven't gotten tired of her yet, have you?"

"Not at all." Geoffrey turned back to Meriam, cupping her neck and smiling at her before he gave her a brief kiss. "My attention span isn't that short."

Hilda laughed. "I only want your birthday to be memorable, darling." Hilda had no doubt it would be. "Mm, what will you do with her next?"

"You know, I haven't any idea." He smiled at Hilda as he pushed his fingers into Meriam's hair. "But I'm sure that between the two of us, we can come up with something." It really had been a fantastic birthday and he hadn't any idea what he might do for Hilda's to top it, but he had a few months and right now, he simply wanted to focus on the night and the two women who were with him.


	11. Voyeur

Arizona stood as she heard the doors to the stable opening and peered out toward the central aisle. It was early enough in the morning for everything to still be just a bit fuzzy, though she wasn't exactly sure of the time. Still if the grooms were there, she was going to have to get up soon. She wriggled to get some of the hay that had stuck to her in the night to fall off. She was doing that, and not particularly paying attention when Agathe passed in front of her stall and headed into Via's. Arizona frowned. Via wasn't usually the first pony awake, and Arizona generally enjoyed the peace that came with Via sleeping. She frowned that Agathe would wake her up before it was necessary.

Via opened one eye as she heard Agathe approach, recognizing her footsteps, but she stayed still, waiting. When she knew the stall door had been opened and heard Agathe take two steps inside, Via sprang to her feet and darted past her out into the aisle.

Arizona watched Via bolt into the aisle and hide behind a barrel, Agathe right behind her. She frowned at the display, thinking that it was far too early for such games. If Via insisted on being difficult, she should at least confine it to reasonable hours. Arizona's frown only grew.

It wasn't as if Agathe couldn't see her, but Via didn't mind that. As the groom got closer, she climbed onto the barrel and vaulted into Peaseblossom's stall, nipping the sleeping pony lightly on the hip. Arizona winced when she heard Peaseblossm slam into her stall door, hoping that whatever was happening in there didn't leave either of them too worse for wear. She knew what it could be like when Via decided to turn her attention on you and being woken up like that... Arizona shuddered in distaste. It almost made her happy when Agathe opened the stall door, much more carefully thins time, to go in after her.

While Via was prepared to dart away, Peaseblossom unfortunately stumbled in her path, and she found herself caught by the collar by Agathe. It had been a minorly amusing chase, though, so the blonde was satisfied for the moment. As Agathe led her into the aisle, she winked at Arizona. But she didn't try to get away when Agathe put a halter on her.

Via's wink made Arizona blush and she almost stepped back into her stall to get away from the other woman, but she wanted to see just how Agathe decided to punish Via. A punishment had to be coming and lately the grooms had taken to more and more creative punishments when it came to Via.

Via was amused when Agathe led her by the collar to go and find a crop. She supposed the groom had learned not to leave her too long in the cross ties the last time Via got out of them and wound up asleep in the hayloft of the other barn. She was even more amused when she was led back into the aisle and coaxed to her knees.

Arizon had to press into her stall door to see what was going on, but once she did, she frowned. Something about the situation left her feeling incredibly uneasy, though she couldn't pin point just what it was. It wasn't as if she had never seen Agathe make one of the ponies lick her before, she had done it herself, but it just didn't seem like something Via would submit to. At least, she didn't think that Via would. She craned her neck for a better view.

Agathe had been, Via decided, a good enough sport for the morning. And she was in a good mood for having gotten to bite Peaseblossom and take her so completely by surprise. Peaseblossom was by far the hardest to get to react. So, she decided it would be fair enough to reward Agathe for her efforts. She pressed her nose into Agathe's thigh, making her stumble back just a little.

Arizona shifted in her stall, stamping her feet, though they didn't yet have the boots on them that would make it truly effective. She wanted to huddle back in the shadows, but as Agathe swatted Via with the crop, then firmly grabbed her hair, Arizona couldn't bring herself to turn away. If anything, she was only watching more intently.

Via merely smirked at the sting--she knew that expression infuriated Agathe more than anything else. But she pressed her tongue through the groom softly curls, licking up to her clit without withholding, which crossed her mind for a moment. But the day had only just started. And she was much more interested in finishing and finding out just what Arizona was up to in her stall.

They were far enough away that Arizona was having a difficult time seeing exactly what Via was doing, but when she caught a brief glimpse of her tongue, her breath caught and she feel the beginnings of wetness between her thighs. It startled her so badly that she let out a high pitched whimper and she finally did pull away from the door for a moment, only to return almost immediately. It had to be the early hour. That was the only explination that she could think of, because she knew that if she was actually getting turned on by Via and her antics, then something was terribly wrong.

The whimper was met with all sorts of sounds--other ponies stirring, the cat padding along the beam above stopping to look down. Via could hear them all, but she wondered just what could be upsetting Arizona so badly. Hilda's favorite--because that much had been obvious to Via for some time--was friendly and sweet and determined...but she wasn't terribly disruptive. And Agathe, Via could tell, felt that her moment was being disrupted. She doubled her efforts.

Arizona bit her lip, knowing instinctively that Agathe was displeased with the disruption. But even that couldn't make her turn away, though she tried even harder to be perfectly silent. She was so focused, that when Edgard opened her stall door with arm bindings and a hatler, she jumped. Despite her surprise she quickly submitted to the halter, still trying to catch sight of Agathe and Via. It wasn't until he led her out of the stall that she had any problems. Her mind was still on Via, and where her mind was, so were her eyes. She kept trying to watch them, even as Edgard lead her to the shower stall, and her distraction got her a quick swat to the ass.

Via laughed silently into Agathe as she interpreted the sounds. She had made more mischief than she had intended in getting Arizona distracted, but it was an amusing and not unpleasant consequence of her action. Agathe was close, so Via pressed forward, turning all of her attention, finally to the groom.

Arizona tried to focus on Edgard and her shower, but despite the sting on her ass, her attention was still divided. She tried to look around him, only to get a sharp tug on her halter and a blast of icy cold water down her back. "Someone's frisky today." Where Agathe generally preferred silence around the ponies, Edgard like to chat, though he rarely acted as if they could actually understand him. Today he sounded amused. Arizona shook the water out of her eyes as if in reply, though she wasn't sure where the rebellious impulse was coming from. She wanted to know what was happening with Via to almost an irrational degree, and she used her wet body to push Edgard to the side. Suddenly, he wasn't amused anymore and a strong hand came down on the back of her neck, holding her in place. "I won't have you getting any ideas." Edgard looked at her sternly and finished the rest of her shower with cold water.

Via allowed herself to be led back to her stall when Agathe finished, but she was already thinking ahead to just when Edgard might return Arizona to her stall and just how long it would take to make her way over there before they were fed. She flopped onto her side to wait and listen, wondering about what Arizona's uncharacteristic outburst might mean.


	12. Mauvaise

The day was warm and pleasant, not nearly as hot as it had been as the summer slowly became fall. Via stood quietly by the gate as Hilda brought Arizona back to turnout. She batted her blonde lashes in anticipation, looking for a reward from her mistress. The auburn-haired pony on the lead shifted through the gate after Hilda, eying Via cautiously, having learned not to turn her back on the blonde's quick form and darting stare. After the past few months, Arizona was reaching the end of her patience with the girl, having endured persistent and harassing nips and shoves whenever Hilda or Kris looked away for even the slightest moment. Via for her part simply found the opportunity to steal some of Arizona's attention irresistible, whether it was in the form of annoyance or not.

Hilda smiled quietly at Via and turned to latch the gate. As she did so Via started forward half a step, quickly leaning over and nipping at Arizona's shoulder, teeth catching the skin firmly and pulling it back for a split-second.

Arizona squealed in surprise and pain, instantly turning on the smaller pony, the slow-building animus making her finally forget herself. She tugged her lead out of Hilda's hands and lunged at Via before the blonde could react. Via hadn't been entirely prepared for Arizona to actually come after her and stumbled back, tripping on her booted feet. But Arizona merely used the moment to press her body into Via's, showing her against the fence. She was leaning in, teeth bared, to more than return Via's earlier actions when Hilda caught up and grabbed her roughly by the collar.

"Arizona! Holde!" Hilda was livid at her pony's behavior and immediately turned her head and struck her across the cheek, hard enough to leave a mark. "Ingensinde!" Her voice was still raised, and she pulled the crop from her belt and laced it across Arizona's bare skin several times in quick succession.

Arizona froze, tripping forward when Hilda regained the lead and tied her to the fence. She was shaking slightly, having never earned such strict punishment from Hilda before. And she could feel her eyes start to water at the sting and the embarrassment as she watched the blonde go to Via and comfort her. And to add insult to injury, Via was playing along, looking wide-eyed and innocent, as though she was the complete victim. Arizona glared at her through her starting tears, anger building as she watched Via take a sugar cube from Hilda and lean in and nuzzle her cheek, Hilda allowing the act indulgently.

When Hilda was satisfied that no actual damage had been done, she returned to Arizona, untied her, and led her silently back to the barn. Once inside she wordlessly shut her back in her stall. The blonde could tell the punishment had rattled the girl, but that was the point, and missing the reward of turnout for the afternoon would cement the lesson.

As she left to start bringing in the real horses, Hilda glanced down to the pasture where Via was calmly staring back at her, and got the distinct feeling Arizona's action wasn't as impulsive as it seemed.

The next morning, Arizona paced slightly in the stall as she watched Hilda approach, knowing it was time for her lesson with Kris. She knew she was doing well and had been rewarded more and more of late with the exception of the events of the afternoon before. Still, biting Via back had nothing to do with her performance in lessons, and Arizona was looking forward to making up the slight, hopefully erasing it from Hilda's memory.

When Hilda opened the stall and led her out, she couldn't help being slightly exuberant, and she was met with a calming touch on the shoulder.

"Vente...stille..." Hilda murmured softly.

Intuitively Arizona stopped, settling in by Hilda, barely noticing when the blonde put her in crossties. However, she could not help but watch curiously as Hilda retrieved Via from her stall. The other pony, Arizona noticed, was tacked for a lesson as well. Her stomach clenched. Via was never slated to have lessons after her, but she hoped against hope that this was going to be the case for the day.

That was not, however, the case. It was Wednesday, and that meant the ponies with lessons that day were taken to Kris. But the trainer had obviously made some other arrangement with Hilda because Arizona saw her walk into the barn just as Hilda got Via's cuffs tightened to better suit the blonde pony's unique escape skills.

"No biting this morning?" Kris put her hands on her hips and looked both of the ponies over.

Hilda merely shook her head. "They've been apart and in bits since they were fed. Thank you for rearranging the schedule."

Arizona tried to keep her eyes forward as Kris unhooked her from the crossties and took her lead in one hand before taking Via's in the other. She stopped trying to avoid feeling queasy as it was fairly obvious that some sort of punishment was near.

"It's not a problem; We'll see if we can't get this taken care of."

"Good." Hilda nodded. "I'll be out to watch in a moment."

As Kris nodded, she clicked her tongue, and Arizona immediately began to follow her out. She held her chin up and refused to look at Via, content to blame the other pony for whatever she was about to endure.


	13. Night

The lights had been off for just under an hour, Via estimated as she lay on her side, hay gently pricking her skin. The grooms had snuffed their cigarettes outside and walked off towards their rooms, their footsteps going silent when they rounded the main barn at least twenty minutes earlier. And even then, Via could hear that most of the ponies were asleep as slow, whispering breaths filled the aisle. Peaseblossom was snoring lightly, and Via wondered if anyone had ever told her she did that. She blinked in the darkness and got up easily even though her hands were still bound. Other ponies were rustling their hay as they moved in sleep, so Via didn't have to worry about making slight sounds, but she was careful anyway. And when she finally slipped into Arizona's stall, she held her breath for a long moment as she stayed where she had landed, crouching, head tilted while simply watching Arizona sleep. It was easy work to remove her cuffs and place them on Arizona's delicate wrists. Via touched them carefully so as not to wake the other pony, but she let her fingers linger over Arizona's arms as she quietly lay behind her. Then, breathing in the scent of hay and Arizona's still damp hair, she began to kiss her neck.

Arizona shifted in her sleep, pressing back into the warmth that was now wrapped around her back. She was dreaming in numbers and colors, nothing concrete and the comforting presence made them kaleidoscope. She exhaled lightly and turned her head. Via was smirking as she pressed herself into Arizona's back. Her limbs were tired and just starting to get sore, but the redhead had suffered the same punishment as she had. She kissed along her jaw and to the corner of her lips, the hay rustling underneath her only because she let herself move that way. Arizona turned into the kiss, still hovering between sleep and wakefulness. She could feel the hay underneath her, and she trusted that Hilda wouldn't let any harm come to her, so she wasn't overly worried about just what was going on. It was when she tried to roll over and found her arms bound that she came immediately, fully awake and started to struggle, pulling at the bindings and trying to sit up, to get away, to see just who was in her stall with her.

Seeing Arizona struggle and fearing that she would wake the entire barn within moments, Via sat up. She put a calming hand on Arizona's shoulder without trying to push her down. And she leaned close, smiling; in the shadows, Arizona wouldn't be able to clearly see her face, but she knew the other pony would be able to make out her outline as she brought her finger to her lips. "Shh," she intoned softly before dipping to kiss her fully.

Before abruptly pulling away, Arizona returned the kiss out of shock. "Via?" she whispered furiously. Now that she knew who it was, and who else could it have been, really, she started to calm down. But her breaths were still coming in gasps and her heart was still racing. "How... What..." She kept her voice low and looked at the other woman skeptically. She was sore from the day's earlier punishment and largely blamed Via for it, though she acknowledged that she had lost her temper as well. It was enough to make her suspicious of Via's motives for being in her stall.

"Shh," Via intoned again, this time her breath hot against Arizona's ear as she moved behind her. She wrapped her arms loosely around Arizona and began to run her fingers idly up and down the redhead's stomach, touching casually, thoughtfully...exploring. She kissed Arizona's shoulder and nuzzled against the light tack that Hilda kept on all of the ponies at night. Via breathed in the scent of the worn leather, and as she carefully began to work the buckle there with her teeth, she could taste its saltiness against the tang of the metal warmed by Arizona's skin.

Arizona craned her neck to try to see what Via was doing even as she flinched and squirmed under her fingers. The touch was light enough to tickle, yet firm enough to be enjoyable, but she was still confused as to why Via was touching her at all.

With one buckle undone, Via was grinning and nuzzling along the middle of Arizona's back to the next. She began to run her hands upward, lightly cupping Arizona's breasts and running her thumbs just over the tops of her nipples. She could picture the blush on Arizona's chest mirroring the way she had flushed in anger when biting back.

As good as Via's hands felt on her breasts and as intrigued as she was by the way her lips and teeth felt along her back, Arizona struggled against giving in to the sensations. "If this is supposed to be some kind of apology, you can stop." She was quite enough that she knew her voice wouldn't be heard outside of that stall.

"Mm." Via paused with the buckle for only a moment, tongue flicking Arizona's skin. "Shh," she intoned against the spot she had wet, cooling it with her breath. She rolled one of Arizona's nipples between her fingers more firmly and went back to her work.

Arizona gasped and pressed her breast forward into Via's touch. It made the buckled that Via had already unfastened rattle and she winced at the sound, trying harder to stay still. She still didn't know what Via's motivations were, but she didn't think that she was going to get any sort of verbal answer.

Via was pleased with the sound, but she stopped, waiting and listening. She finished with the other buckle and began to slide the rest off, letting it fall gently into the hay with a soft, satisfying swish that faded into the darkness. She kissed between Arizona's shoulder blades and back up again as she moved her hands down to gently tease the curls between Arizona's legs. Arizona let out a soft sigh, obediently spreading her legs for Via. It felt good and Via seemed to be taking great pains that they shouldn't be caught, so maybe her motivations didn't matter. Arizona let herself slip into the simpler thought patterns of her pony self, and with that, she relaxed fully. She let her body rest against Via's, soaking up her closeness and warmth and flicking her tail.

While she hadn't quite figured out how to flick her own tail, Via appreciated that Arizona finally relaxed. She nipped at the back of her neck lightly, showing her delight in feeling the woman's body fully against hers, in the muffled sounds their careful movements made in the hay. She was surprised to find Arizona already wet, but she took great pleasure in it anyway. Arizona was certainly the most captivating pony to watch, and Via had no doubt that she had to be one of the most interesting women, as Hilda probably wouldn't pull her away from the stables some nights otherwise. But this was her night, and she had been waiting for it, and she slid her fingers into Arizona, sighing softly at the warmth.

Sighing in pleasure, Arizona hooked one of her legs over Via's to give her better access. Just because her arms were bound behind her, didn't mean that her hands had stopped working, and she reached for whatever bit of Via's skin was closest. She had no hope of doing anything, but being able to hold onto her was satisfying enough. She kept flicking her tail occasionally, enjoying the extra jolt of arousal it sent through her every time that she did it.

Via threw her head back, opening her mouth in a silent moan of pleasure at Arizona's clumsy touch. She slid her fingers in and out quickly, curling them each time. Sweat was beginning to form on Arizona's skin, on her own skin, and she kissed Arizona's neck and shoulders, tasting the salt and the hay, her own arousal growing with it. She pressed her thumb to Arizona's clit and fondled one of her nipples as an afterthought.

As her climax hit, hard and quick, Arizona had to resort to biting her lips not to make any noise. Never before had she longed for a bit quite so badly. She slumped back against Via, beyond questioning her, and hoped that the other woman would provide the necessary support to keep her from falling over.

The weight was comfortable and Via held her there for a moment, but she didn't want to wait long enough for the redhead to become focused again. She slipped out from underneath her, letting her down gently into the hay, hands still bound. Via's eyes were bright in the darkness, catching what light they could, but she slipped back into it, disappearing once again while the rest of the barn continued to sleep.

It was only after Via left that Arizona realized that her hands were still tied and that she had no way to get her tack back on by herself. With a sigh, she rolled onto a fresh patch of hay and settled down to go back to sleep, vaguely wondering just what Hilda and the grooms would think the next morning.


	14. Mischief

Rami paced in his stall, stamping his feet and pressing against the door. He had caught sight of Via sneaking around the stable and he was desperately curious about what she was doing. He was actually rather amazed at all of the things she managed to get into. Amazed and envious. He wished that he was half as creative.

While Via hadn't had any particular aim when she got out of her stall that day, Rami caught her attention. She cocked her head as she watched him from her position perched on a beam near the roof, her fingers twitching by her sides as her legs dangled. There was a kinship, she supposed, in that he tended to cause quite a bit of trouble for Kris. But he was much more noisy about it. Still, it only took a split second for Via to make her decision. She dropped down into his stall and smirked.

Rami spun as Via landed behind him. "Whoa, hey. Wow. How do you do that? Get up there, I mean." Rami shifted his shoulders, practically twitching with pent up energy. He bounced on his toes, looking from the beam to Via and back again, trying to work it out.

"Shh!" Via hissed. She was hardly going to give away her secrets, but she didn't want him alerting the whole entire barn to the fact that she was in his stall before she got out of it. Tossing her hair, she went to the door and went to work on getting it open.

Rami wanted to ask a million questions, but he managed to stop himself while he intently watched what Via was doing. Maybe he would be able figure out how she got the door open and then he would be able to do it himself. Finally Via got the door unlatched. She slid it opened and stepped back, turning back to Rami expectantly.

He smiled at her and whispered a quiet thanks as he stepped out of his stall and looked around the barn. Now that he was out, he wasn't exactly sure what he should do. There were so many possibilities. He headed toward the main door to see if he could get them open. Via hoped he would cause some trouble. He certainly seemed to make enough noise kicking his stall that she thought he would figure something out. She didn't offer to unbind his hands, though, wanting to see if that provided even more amusement. So, she stepped out behind him, watching with her large eyes.

Rami tried to push the door open with his shoulder, but he only succeeded in scratching himself. He twitched his lips in consternation before spinning around to take in the rest of the stables. If he was stuck inside for now, he would simply have to find something there to entertain him. His eyes fell on a collection of tack hanging on a wall. The metal was shiny and it looked like it had just been cleaned. He walked over, and using his mouth and his nose, deliberately knocked it into the dirt.

As the watched, Via bit her lip to keep from laughing in delight. The ponies that had not yet been turned out were coming to the doors of their stalls to see what the commotion was, and it delighted Via even more to see Peaseblossom looking at her disapprovingly.

Rami bounced in delight at the little puff of dust caused by the falling tack and he started looking for anything else that he could knock down, but that wouldn't be too loud. He wanted to knock over one of the water barrels, and he though that he was strong enough to do it, but he knew that the second he did, the amount of noise it would make would bring someone back to the barn. He would have to save it for later. Instead, he turned his attention to the other ponies. He ran up to Peaseblossom's stall, slamming into it with his chest. He wanted to see what she would do.

She flinched and stepped back, stunned. Then, she merely turned her back to him. But Via was actively laughing, albeit quietly, to see her so disturbed. She definitely liked the way Rami thought.

Peaseblossom walking away was enough to divert Rami's attention away from her. He wasn't really interested in terrorizing her or anything. He just wanted to have some fun. He bit his lip as he turned toward Via and charged at her, even as he knew that he wouldn't be able to catch her. She darted away and scrambled onto a barrel, cocking her head as if to ask why on earth he was going for her. She had let him out after all.

Rami smiled up at her, trying to convey that he just wanted to play. He jumped a few times, almost skipping around the barrel that Via was perched on, his hair flopping into his eyes. He bumped against the barrel, but not hard enough to knock it over.

She frowned as she looked down on him, as if asking what he thought he was doing. It was entertaining, but Via wanted to be as minimally involved as possible in the mischief. It was always better when someone else could get punished. Rami pouted as he turned away. Clearly Via wasn't interested in playing with him, and that was disappointing. He was quickly running out of ideas and the water barrel was starting to look better.

Via licked her lips, as if she could tell what he was thinking. She hopped off of the barrel and trailed behind him, wondering if he could really knock it over by himself. She _supposed_ she could help if that weren't the case.

With a little bit of a running start, and in a slight crouch, Rami slammed into the water barrel, lifting it up. It didn't quite tip over the first time, though it did make a very satisfying low thud when he hit it. He grinned in excitement and stepped back to do it again. This time, he got lower and pushed against it with his shoulder, using his thighs to push it up and over onto its edge. One more little bit and it would tip, spilling water throughout the barn.

Via squealed and nearly clapped her hands with delight. But she was quick to dart away from one of the trails of water and back into her own stall, closing and locking the door behind her. It was nothing to cuff her hands back into place and simply flop down on the hay.

Rami simply stood there for a long moment, surveying the damage he had done. The floor was a wet, muddy mess now. He jumped in some of the large puddles as he made his way back to his stall. He knew that someone would be there any minute, and that it would be obvious that he was responsible, but there was no point in making it too easy. He watched as the water started to trickle in under the stall doors and he wondered just how wet the occupants might get. Perhaps they'd have to give everyone a shower again. That would be even more wonderful. Rami stepped into his stall and pulled the door shut behind himself, then sank down into the mud.

Kris handed Ari off to Mario to walk out and headed around to the backside of the barn when she heard the crash. She knew it had to have something to do with Via....it always did. She paused when she saw the flooded barn aisle and went immediately to Via's stall but found her quite innocently inside. However, this didn't mean she didn't cause the trouble. She was starting to open the blonde pony's stall to do....well she hadn't decided what to her yet, when she noticed Rami's stall was unlatched. She crossed to the other side to see him settled in the wet bedding looking quite pleased. It didn't mean Via wasn't culpable, but it did mean neither she nor Mario would have to clean up the mess. "Anas! I think I have a job for you." Rami's owner had expressed an interest in learning to be a stable boy, and though Kris didn't really need the help, she had been indulging him, and maybe it was about to pay off.

Anas rounded the corner into the barn, a willing smile on his face. To his credit, it stayed there, if tightening slightly, when he saw the mess. No doubt his pony had had something to do with it--something for which he would punish him later. "I'd be happy to help, Mademoiselle," he said, glad that he had not shown up that day in a suit. Without being prompted, he put lifted the much lighter barrel back into place and turned to Kris, unsure of where to start. "I'm sorry if Rami has caused trouble...yet again. He is...spirited, no?" He chuckled lightly.

Rami looked up at Kris, a smug smile on his face as he shifted around in the wet hay. It wasn't really comfortable, but that didn't make it any less enjoyable.

The blonde crossed her arms over her chest and tried not to be amused. She knew Rami was looking to get an extra shower out of this, but she had other plans. If he needed to be cleaned later, she'd do it herself, which was definitely not what the pony had in mind. She looked over at Anas, "He definitely is. If you wouldn't mind putting down some dry shavings from the other side of the barn to soak this all up?" At that point she noted the tack in the dirt, "And then I think it's time you learned how to clean tack." She slid open the stall door and took Rami out, then brought Via as well. "I think they obviously have too much energy, I think a good run is needed." Kris smiled a little as Rami's expression changed, and she wondered if she had left the paper in the viewing room. She might need something to read for an hour or so.


	15. Roll

Via rolled in the grass, sighing slightly at how cool it was against her skin in contrast with the spot she had warmed by lying there a while. She watched a fly land on a thistle and dart away, and she could see one of the main barn's grooms taking a dappled pony to his turnout. Arizona was almost completely still next to her, probably asleep. But Via knew she could get up and over the fence without disturbing her.

Arizona wanted to let herself fall asleep, but if she did that, there was every chance that Via would wake her in some kind of uncomfortable manner. So while her eyes were closed and she was perfectly relaxed, she was still listening to Via's movements. Arizona knew that she was getting bored just from the way she was rolling around, and when Via got bored, she started doing things that she shouldn't, things that would interrupt Arizona's perfectly nice afternoon in the sun. "Via?" She kept the note of warning out of her voice, knowing that any reprobation would only spur Via on.

"Hmm?" Via had gotten to her knees, and she was watching the groom as he walked back to his work, leaving the dappled pony and a few others to themselves. The talking startled her a bit; she was so used to the silence from the other ponies, and she rarely talked to them or they to her in turnout.

Arizona finally opened her eyes, looking directly at Via. "Please don't go bother the horses." Her arms were only loosely bound behind her back, but it still made sitting up awkward.

Via cocked her head and screwed her lips together thoughtfully. Her braid fell over her bare shoulder. "What makes you think I'd go bother the horses?" There were any number of other things she could do, and Via wouldn't admit to being disturbed that Arizona knew the one she was set on. Was she being that predictable already?

At that, Via tilted her head the other way. Arizona had better hearing than she thought. She could have gone ahead with her plans, but it wasn't as fun when the other pony had laid them out so plainly. So, Via started to scan the fenceline, looking for anything else that might catch her attention. Arizona watched Via look around, unable, this time, to predict just what she might go after, but well aware that she was after something. "It's just such a nice day out," she sighed. "And we're all alone..." And they so rarely got left alone together. She shifted her shoulders, making her breasts stand out just a bit more.

As tempting as Arizona was, Via bit her lip thoughtfully. She wondered if it would be as much fun if she didn't have to somehow figure out a way to get into Arizona's stall without getting caught.

Arizona didn't let Via think about it any longer as she leaned in and kissed her. If Via wanted to run away, she would. Arizona certainly couldn't catch her, and with her arms bound, there was nothing she could do if she did.

This kiss was enough to hold Via's attention for the moment. She pressed into it and into Arizona, moving forward on her knees.

Aware that if she didn't do something to keep Via's attention, the encounter would end before it had a chance to really begin, Arizona bit Via's lip, then pressed into her, doing her best to knock her to the ground.

Via merely swayed, but Arizona definitely had her attention for the moment. She grinned and nipped at the other pony's neck before pressing forward with more force, attempting to do the same.

At night Arizona's hands were normally unbound, even if Via's weren't when the night started, but she had been training with Hilda and Kris for so long that keeping her balance was second nature. She pushed back against Via, their breasts rubbing as they wrestled. She attempted to kiss Via anytime her lips got close, but it was hardly an elegant effort.

In the effort, Via could have easily gotten out of her bonds; she decided, however, to enjoy the little challenge, to make it last a little longer. She bit Arizona's shoulder and tried to push her knees out from under her, hoping to land the redhead on her back.

Via was far more persistent that Arizona, and eventually she simply gave up, letting Via knock her down. She looked up at Via and smirked. This was where she wanted to be anyway.

The blonde bit her lip and straddled Arizona. She cocked her head as if considering what to do with her. Now would have been the time to free her arms, but Via wasn't thinking about that. She ducked down and nipped down Arizona's pretty throat all the way to one of her nipples, which she bit lightly.

One day Arizona was going to figure out just what Via's thing with biting was, but in that moment, she was too wrapped up in the feeling to think about it. She arched up into Via and wrapped her legs around her, letting her boots rest against the small of Via's back and using the added weight to keep her there.

Via shivered. Well, that was new, and it certainly felt interesting. She couldn't say that she didn't like being tied down. It wasn't that; she rather liked being tied down in order to get out of things. But the weight pressed her down into Arizona, and that was stimulating enough to make her move to the other breast instead of bolt away.

Arizona started rubbing herself against Via's stomach, eager for the sensation. She tossed her head, getting thoroughly covered in grass. The squirming excited Via more than anything else, and she found herself squirming down, kissing and nipping down Arizona's stomach.

Arizona let out a very unpony-like moan as Via slid lower and she let her legs fall to either side, unable to keep them wrapped around Via. Her arms were trapped underneath her and the entire position was awkward, but she didn't care. She lifted her hips up, urging Via on.

Via smirked even against Arizona's curls and quickly pushed her tongue in before using her teeth, biting lightly, knowing it would feel better than it hurt.

Oh..." Arizona jumped when she felt Via's teeth, but only to press against her a second later.

"Mm," Via intoned. She could feel herself getting wetter at intentionally depriving herself of touch, at the way Arizona was moaning. She licked intently, fully concentrating on the other woman's clit, finally.

It didn't take long for Arizona to come. Just staying at Hilda's, playing the part, kept her at a low level of arousal and being near Via only increased it. She shuddered and moaned underneath Via's tongue, then finally went limp.

Even as Via looked up and grinned, she cocked her head. She kissed her way back up Arizona's body, nuzzling her gently before kissing her as she settled beside her.

Arizona rolled onto her side, nuzzling against Via and pressing one of her legs between Via's. She swished her tail as best she could while lying down.

Via shivered and pressed into Arizona's thigh, letting a small sigh escape her lips as she squirmed closer. She looked into the redhead's eyes and smiled before kissing her again, softer this time.

Arizona kept kissing Via, happier about the more leisurely pace that the blonde was finally allowing. Maybe if she could Via entertained for a while, Hilda would be back before she could get up to anything. And there was the added benefit of just how much she enjoyed this particular form of distraction.

The blonde continued to pressed against Arizona's leg, allowing light moans as she grew wetter. "Press harder," she whispered against Arizona's ear as their kisses broke.

Arizona was happy to do as requested and she pushed her leg into Via with renewed energy. She rolled on top of Via, kissing her throughly.

Via grinned between kisses, having no issues shamelessly pressing into Arizona, seeking as much stimulation as possible. She barely noticed the strange position she was in, with her arms cuffed behind her. It certainly wasn't the most uncomfortable one she'd ever been in.

"Mm," Hilda intoned, a bit louder than she generally might have. The two ponies barely seemed to notice her, and she only watched them writhe together for a moment. "I suppose I'll come back in twenty minutes," she said, as if to herself. And as she turned to walk away, she chuckled lightly.

Arizona abruptly pulled away from Via to watch Hilda walk away. Her cheeks were hot and she knew that she was turning red. Hilda had never caught her doing something so shameless and though Hilda had seemed amused, she was worried about what might happen when she came back.

Via promptly nipped Arizona's chest, trying to draw her back as she thrust her hips against her leg. She was so close, and while it amused her that Hilda hadn't pulled them apart, she really didn't care what else Hilda was or was not going to do. "Stop worrying," she said, pulling Arizona into a fierce kiss.

The kiss was more than enough to distract her and she pushed her leg back against Via as she refocused on her. "Sorry." She tilted her head down to nip at one of Via's nipples.

"Yeah..." Via said in English, moaning as she threw her head back. Her climax came in a controlled wave, and she enjoyed every moment of it, squirming closer and closer to Arizona. And when she finished, she grinned widely, eyes clearing and becoming bright.

Grinning back at her, Arizona pushed her nose against Via's and bumped her forehead. She was slightly out of breath, but she was quickly catching it. She kissed her impulsively, her own eyes sparkling. "Do you want to go play with the horses?"

"No...not right now..." Via smirked and rolled onto her back. She was content to lie there until Hilda returned. How long she would be content to stay in her stall, she wasn't sure. But this was good; it was nice to feel the warmth of Arizona's skin so close to hers.


	16. Trust

Kris led Via and Arizona back to their stalls. The daylight was slipping, and it had been a long day, but a good one. She had a few new clients to speak with about their ponies, and her existing clients were happy with how the show had gone. The only notable exception was Etienne, who had yet to return from his trip. She assumed then that Zephyr...Madeliene…would be spending another night, and this was both worrisome and secretly making her quite thrilled. She opened Arizona's stall and let her inside, then simply let Via follow her, and slid the door shut. Hilda, who was tending to Peaseblossom across the aisle, gave her a curious glance, but Kris just shrugged. The other blonde would be taking them home for the night in awhile, and Kris didn't feel much like chasing Via around the barn at this late hour.

When she was finished, Hilda leaned against the stall door and ran her fingers through her hair. She was proud of each of her ponies--even Via had done well that day--and the pleasant weariness that was settling over her was not unwelcome. "I suppose they both deserve some sort of treat," she murmured as she watched Arizona and Via as they settled. "Now, can we skip to the part where you invite me inside for a drink before I go?" Hilda smiled with the easy familiarity of their friendship.

Kris smiled, "I was just getting there." She looked down the barn to see that Mario had things well in hand for the evening feeding and offered her arm in mock-seriousness to Hilda, "shall we then?" A good day at the races deserved a good drink at the end.

"Oh, quite." Hilda took Kris's arm with the same humor until she began to laugh lightly. She only looked over her shoulder once as they left the barn. Kris's house held not only the promise of a good drink but also talk of what they both had really thought of the day. And the ponies wouldn't mind the time to rest.

Arizona watched Hilda and Kris disappear before she turned back to Via and stepped further into the stall. It had been a long day, though she was incredibly happy about winning her race. She had been smiling around her bit the entire way back, and now that it was out of her mouth, she smiled even more. With a content sigh, she flopped down into the hay and batted her eyelashes up at Via.

The blonde smiled down, but she did not immediately follow. Her bright eyes darted around the barn not once, but twice, before she finally settled back on Arizona and joined her in the hay. She nuzzled her neck softly, taking in the smell of her freshly washed hair and the hay.

"Mmm." Arizona nuzzled back, but she didn't forget that Via seemed more vigilant than usual as she tangled their legs together. "Is something wrong?" She kissed under one of Via's ear.

"You look pretty," Via said quietly as she brushed her fingers through lose strands of Arizona's hair. "And it's peaceful here." She wasn't sure how to answer the question. Not yet, at least.

"It is." leaning into the touch, Arizona wrapped her arms around Via. She kissed her lightly. "And thank you." There was something on Via's mind, but Arizona knew better than to try and push. It would only serve to get the opposite of the reaction she wanted. That was how Via worked. There were times when it was frustrating, but part of her thought that it was incredibly endearing as well.

"Will they be long?" Via was snuggling closer, running her fingers down Arizona's side and back up again. She stopped to tease one of the redhead's nipples.

Arizona shivered at the touch. "An hour, maybe an hour and a half. It depends on how tired they are." She couldn't speculate about what Kris and Hilda did when they were alone, but Hilda never stayed the night. She pressed her body against Via's, soaking in her warmth and letting it relax her even further.

Via nipped at her ear. There was a calm, an easiness between Kris and Hilda; it had never crossed her mind that they might be or ever have been lovers. She was good at seeing those things. But that wasn't important just then. She focused on Arizona while keeping her senses sharp to what else was going on in the barn. Zephyr was standing in her stall, looking towards the house. Peaseblossom was drifting in and out of of a nap. And Via was pressing her leg between Arizona's. "Come away with me."

"What?" Arizona blinked. It was enough to make her sit up, even though she had been almost on the verge of sleep a moment before. "Come... where? What?" She was utterly confused.

"Shh..." Via pulled her close and wrapped her arms around her. "I have to go tonight; I want you to come with me," she said simply, quietly.

"Why?" Arizona furrowed her brow. "Where are you going? Did something happen?" She hadn't seen anything happen and surely if Hilda had she would have taken care of it immediately. She was full of questions and underneath all of them was the fear that Via might disappear the way she had first appeared and Arizona would never see her again. She clutched Via's arms, as if that might stop her from evaporating into thin air.

"It's complicated...it's..." Via looked around, as if helpless. She felt helpless. This hadn't been part of her plan--at least, not the part where she actually felt something beyond apathy for someone. But Arizona had been worth the risk of staying too long, of not bolting at the races that day. Finally, she pulled the redhead in and kissed her as if it would explain everything.

Arizona kissed her back just as fervently, sliding closer. "Where are we going?" It was a split second decision and she hoped that whatever it was that she was feeling in the kiss was really there and not just in her imagination. She pressed her forehead into Via's neck, trying to find some sort of comfort there.

"I don't know yet...Istanbul...maybe Brazil." Via shrugged before pulling Arizona close, luxuriating in the feel of her skin, in the weight of her decision. "I can't stay here anymore."

"Brazil?" Arizona knew that she looked terrified. "Why? I need you tell me why?"

Via licked her lips, and her hands itched to simply distract Arizona. But in a rare show of restraint, she merely stilled. "Someone at the race might have recognized me. I stole two Ming vases from his auction house in Stockholm."

Arizona's eyes went wide at the confession. "Two... vases... " She just stared at Via, trying to collect her thoughts. "And you were hiding here and now you can't so you're going to Brazil..." It made sense, in a way. Who would think to look for a fugitive in Hilda's barn? She certainly wouldn't have. "Is that what you do? Steal things?"

"Yes." Via blinked, as if surprised that Arizona was surprised.

Arizona nodded. It was insane. It was absolutely insane. But she had said that she would go and she found that she had no desire to change her mind. "Okay." She nodded. "So, what do we do?"

"Don't worry." Via's eyes were sparking and she smirked as she leaned in for another kiss, pulling Arizona closer. They had to wait until dark, and that meant they had to wait until Hilda took them back to her barn.

"Don't worry?" She wasn't sure how she was supposed to stop worrying. She had always liked rules, always tried her hardest to be the best and that meant following them to the letter, and now she was going to run away with a thief. She leaned against Via. "How do I do that?"

"Just trust me..." Via kissed her again and this time she pressed her palm between Arizona's legs, cupping her there and feeling her heat. It never occurred to her that it might be a lot to ask.

Arizona nodded even as she automatically pressed down against Via's hand and spread her legs. It was what a good pony was supposed to do, after all. "I do trust you." She looked up into Via eyes and pulled her down for a long, lingering kiss. "Though I probably shouldn't."

Via smirked as she began to touch Arizona in earnest, pressing her fingers into her as she circled her clit with her thumb. "But you do." And that was all that mattered. There were very few things that Via needed in her life that were complicated. This was almost too much, but she wanted to be selfish.

Nodding, Arizona let out a quiet moan. She didn't know what she was getting herself into, but she couldn't imagine what life would be like without Via around, and going with her was a much better option. She turned and twisted until she was sitting in Via's lap with her legs wrapped around her, holding her there as they kissed, and pushing down onto her fingers. "Ancelote. That's my real name."

"You'll always be Arizona for me," Via whispered as she nuzzled underneath her ear. She continued to thrust, pushing deeper but still slowly, wanting to draw out the moment a little longer.

"Oh," Arizona breathed out and clung to Via. "Please." She tried to press closer, to pull Via's fingers even further inside her, but it was impossible. "Please." She pressed their foreheads together, looking into Via's eyes.

As much as she wished she could, Via did not, could not block out the sounds of the rest of the world. Doing so would be too dangerous, but taking Arizona with her was too dangerous. She pressed her thumb harder against Arizona's clit and pulled her into a deep, almost urgent kiss.

It was enough, and Arizona tensed around Via's fingers, coming almost violently. She sucked in a breath and clung to Via, already feeling the sweat cooling on skin. "I..." Arizona stopped herself from saying the rest of that thought and swallowed. "Don't leave me. Just... please don't leave me."

"I won't..." Via wrapped her arms around Arizona and undid her braid so that she tangle her lithe fingers in the redhead's curls. It was a promise. Via rarely said anything that wasn't, and her relative state of silence was generally the cost of that. They would leave that night, and there would be other nights like it. But there would not be one where she slipped away while Arizona was sleeping; she was sure of that.


	17. Sure

Madeleine's heart began to beat wildly as she led Kris to her own bedroom, remembering the path, remembering waking up next to Kris as clearly as if it had happened that morning. She did not feel lost, she realized, in this. If it wasn't true...if Etienne really was going to come back for her, she didn't want to lose this moment. But it was true; she trusted Kris just as Zephyr trusted Kris. And she trusted that she was right in guessing that they had both been waiting for this.

What insecurity, reasoned apprehension Kris had been feeling evaporated when Madeleine closed the door behind them. The woman's skin was flushed with anticipation, but her eyes were soft, almost relaxed with clarity in the moment. Still, she didn't know what to say. Her whole body and mind were aching to touch the brunette, but she held back, not willing to accept that she was allowed. The silence hung in the air, and she watched as Madeline came closer, starting to smile.

Despite the lingering confusion, the sharp sting of abandonment, or perhaps because of it, Madeleine felt she had to act and act quickly She cupped Kris's cheeks with both of her hands, looking into the blonde's eyes before closing her own when their lips met. The kiss was soft, but there was a force, a building desire behind it, and Madeleine pressed closer.

Kris moaned at the long awaited touch and stepped back, but pulled Madeline with her. It took her a moment to realize her hands were shaking with the sudden overwhelming touch, and she kissed Madeleine back in earnest. She was surprised at the intensity of the brunette, and knew she would not have been so brave as to presume had she not taken the initiative. When Kris left the barn, her confidence generally faded, and she was glad for the other woman's strength.

Madeleine slid her hands down Kris's strong arms and took her tremblings hands in her own. She pressed them before putting them on her own hips, reassuring Kris that it was all right, that this was what they both wanted. She kissed her again, this time lightly, almost playfully as she began to unbutton her shirt, pushing it open as she went.

Kris wrapped her fingers around the brunette's hips, feeling her body in a way she never had before. She had tacked, and even washed Zephyr, but those moments had nothing to do with how good Madeleine felt under her fingers. The blond backed them toward the bed, only letting go of the other woman long enough to shed her shirt onto the floor.

Even as she was sitting and falling backwards, Madeleine was pulling Kris with her, kissing her, unhooking her bra. She had slept next to Kris without feeling her skin. She had felt her hands countless times, but she wanted her close, she wanted her to herself, to cling to. With Kris's chest bare, Madeleine shivered, but she wasted no time in pulling her own shirt off and pulling the blonde closer to her, half on top of her.

Kris was starting to act on instinct, and ran her fingers through Madeleine's hair. She was reaching to pull the other woman's pants off when she paused and sat back to look at her for a moment, "Madeleine..." Kris's heart was still beating quickly, "Are you sure?" There was no indication otherwise, but given how they had spent most of their time, and the trauma the woman had likely endured with Etienne, she had to be sure.

Blinking for a moment, Madeleine let the question hang in the air. She ran her hands up Kris's side and looked at her through her long lashes. "Kris, I...this is all I am sure of right now," she said softly as she pulled Kris down for a kiss. She squirmed out of her pants herself and wrapped her legs around Kris even as she was undoing her jeans.

Kris moaned, and the next moments were a blur as the rest of their clothes were thrown onto the ground, and Kris pulled them up further onto the bed, finally settling under Madeleine. Her fingers didn't stop, she wanted so badly to feel every inch of the other woman's skin.

Content with their nakedness but not sated, Madeleine began to kiss Kris's neck down to her collarbones. She rolled one of Kris's nipples between her fingertips and kissed down to the other, taking it into her mouth gently. There was so much that she wanted to do that she was almost overwhelmed with her arousal.

Kris groaned and tangled her hands in Madeleine's hair, holding her close. She couldn't remember ever wanting something so much, and she didn't even notice her own squirming under the other woman.

Madeleine moaned and could not help but move on in her anticipation. She kissed down Kris's stomach as she parted the blonde's thighs. When she glanced up, she was smiling. But she did not wait to pressed her tongue to in a long stroke up to Kris's clit.

"God....Madeleine..." Kris's voice was strangled as she moaned. She was so ready, and it only took a few moments for the brunette to push her over the edge. She grasped handfulls of the comforter to keep from wanting to pull the other woman's hair.

She continued, fingers grasping at Kris's legs, waiting for the final shudder of her release as she breathed in Kris's taste. Madeleine was giddy with urgency and the sound of the blonde's voice.

The world was spinning slightly still as Kris pulled Madeleine up to kiss her. She was suddenly scared that if she didn't feel the woman's weight, her warmth on her again, she might find it was all a dream like the ones she had had so many times.

"I'm here," Madeleine said breathily as the kiss broke before she initiated it again. She pressed her body to Kris's, pressing herself against the blonde's thigh and moaning at the force of the contact.

"I'm so happy." It was the only thing Kris could think to say, and she was already reaching to touch the other woman, needing to feel her come as well, to let go.

It was only minutes later that Madeleine did, shuddering as she clung to Kris. As they stilled, she kissed the blonde's neck softly and rested her head on her shoulder, finally content.

Kris smiled and kissed Madeleine's hair, wrapping her arms around her. "You're amazing...I....it'll be ok." She didn't quite know all of what was happening, but only that she would do everything possible not to make that promise untrue.

"I know..." Madeleine offered a small, almost shy smile. "I know...I trust you," she said quietly as she snuggled closer to Kris, soaking in her warmth.

The blond kissed her again and pulled some blankets over. It was all so unexpected, but so real, and somehow she didn't want to worry past the night.

By the time she felt Kris shift to turn out the light, Madeleine was already half asleep. The day had been longer and more eventful than what she was used to, but it was pleasant to be so close to Kris, and she was too content to debate what might happen in the morning. She hoped, at least, it would involve waking up with Kris still next to her.


	18. Brazil

A light rain had fallen in the early hours of the morning, and when Hilda stepped off of the gravel drive and onto the soft earth, everything smelled new. She let herself luxuriate in a long ride until she knew the day would prove hotter than promised, and by the time she returned to the barn, the doors were opened to the smaller one behind it. Agathe was leading Emerald to the shower stall, and Hilda was sure Edgard was busy with something. Still, it was quiet save for the usual noises of the morning, and that seemed, Hilda realized, almost too good to be true. She pursed her lips, ready to see what mischief was in the air that morning. Kris would be there soon enough to look over one of the new ponies that Hilda had brought home, and she wanted to take care of anything Via had done before then. As she neared the doors, Hilda noted that the grooms made themselves scarce, but the barn was still peaceful. She couldn't see anything out of place as she stood in the center aisle, hands on hips, and gave a sweeping look, noting anything that might have been knocked down or moved in the night.

Satisfied that no tack was visibly out of place, no barrels knocked over or moved, Hilda went back to her usual routine of simply seeing each of the ponies in turn. She stroked Peaseblossom's hair and redid the bottom of her braid before moving to the next stall, where Rami lay still sleeping. His master arranged for him to spend the night in one of Hilda's stalls as a reward for good behavior at the show the day before. Good behavior, of course, meant that he hadn't kicked anyone or knocked anything over, but Hilda shook her head at seeing him sprawled there. "Rami, kome here," she said firmly, loud enough to start him awake. The pony blinked as he got to his feet, and Hilda nodded to the now cold oatmeal that had been left for him. "Spise din morgenmad."

Without repeating herself, Hilda moved on, checking each pony for herself, though she trusted her grooms in their work. When she arrived at Arizona's stall, she furrowed her brow to see it empty. Agathe was not yet back with Emerald, so there was no reason Arizona would have been taken out to be cleaned. And if she had been one of the ponies slated for morning turnout, the grass was still too wet. Hilda looked about the barn, noting still that neither of the grooms was present. Even the cats seemed to be keeping their distance that morning. She crossed her arms as she walked to Via's stall, wondering if somehow the blonde, who was so often asleep on Arizona's hay in the morning, had decided upon a change of scenery. What she found was a small, dark haired pony watching her every move, blinking up at her with bright, brown eyes. The girl was wearing pieces of both Via's and Arizona's tack, Hilda noticed immediately as she took a step back and looked around again. She was, indeed, at Via's stall, and this was not the slender boy pony she had acquired at the race the day before. "Good God..." she muttered as she looked at the girl, blinking as if that would change the image in front of her eyes.

Finally, Hilda scrubbed her face as she had when she was a child, and she quickly moved to the stalls she hadn't yet been to. Via and Arizona were nowhere to be found. Then it occurred to her to look up. Via was fond of heights, and Hilda rather thought it because she enjoyed seeing those below her scramble about looking for her. And it was in that revelation that she almost found relief, until she looked up to see all of Via's favorite perches empty. Hilda frowned and turned quickly as she heard footsteps. Agathe was returning with Emerald and avoiding Hilda's gaze. "Where are Via and Arizona?" she asked pointedly. It was no secret that Arizona was one of her favorites.

Quickly putting Emerald into her stall, Agathe bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Madame, I don't know. Her stall was empty when I got here."

Hilda's frown deepened until it very nearly darkened her face. "Edgard hasn't taken them out?" They both knew that he knew better, but Hilda was decidedly out of options as to where they might have gone. And she couldn't even think about the new pony--still watching her--yet.

"No, ma'am." Agathe shook her head. "She was just... gone." She shrugged. "Maybe Via decided that she wanted to sleep outside last night and Arizona went with her." It had been a bit too cool for that, but nothing Via did made much sense to Agathe, so it seemed possible.

"Mm." Hilda clearly wasn't impressed. She turned back to Via's stall to contemplate the pony there. "Brazil" was written on the nameplate, and that made as much sense to her as "Via" had. Hilda could hear Agathe taking Peaseblossom out of her stall and hurrying away as she stared into those curious eyes wondering where her prizes had gone.

Kris' footfalls echoed lightly in the aisle as she walked toward Hilda, who was still staring into the stall. She glanced at the new pony, and wondered how many Hilda had become enamored with at the races, having only seen her make offers for two, this not being one of them. "Morning Hilda, another new one?"

"What?" Hilda nearly jumped at the sound of Kris's voice. She ran her fingers through her hair before crossing her arms again. Hilda did not try to hide her bewilderment and worry as she looked to Kris. The trainer was as fresh as the morning, as always, and she looked amused. "No...no, absolutely not. This is..." She sighed and shook her head. This was all too familiar.

Kris raised an eyebrow as she watched her friend trip over her answer, and just leaned quietly to read the paper name card on the stall. "Looks like that's Brazil." Kris took a sip of the coffee she'd brought in with her, "Pretty." She could tell Hilda was confused, but Kris found it best to let the blond explain what she wanted, and in her own time.

"Very..." Hilda shook her head, remembering how long it had taken her to reconcile herself to Via's appearance. "Probably agile too," she murmured. It felt as if she were moving through liquid, but Hilda found herself reaching into the stall to stroke the girl's hair, which had been left down. "Via and Arizona are gone." She knew Kris would understand her agitation. She had spent many hours with both ponies and they, especially Arizona, had done her proud. But a slow smile was coming to her face in spite of everything else. Via and Arizona were gone, and a pony with eyes just as quick had been left in their place.

"Gone?" Kris looked over her shoulder at Arizona's empty stall, then back to Hilda. "And I assume this is the first you're learning of it?" Strange things had happened since Via appeared, and somehow it was fitting that the blond pony left as quickly as she arrived, but the loss of Arizona would hit her friend harder.

"Quite." Hilda shook her head, and finally, she laughed. "God, I hope she isn't as nimble a climber," she said finally as she looked from Brazil to Kris. If Arizona left with Via, there was a good reason. The redhead was too direct to waffle about a decision, and Via was too quick to make a decision weeks ahead of time. Hilda shook her head and tried to focus on what the day would bring to bring some clarity to the rest of her thoughts. "I suppose that's three new ponies for today."


	19. Interlude

Madeleine slung her art bag over her shoulder as she got out of the car. Her jeans had charcoal stains down the thighs, and she hadn't quite managed to get it some of the smudges completely off of her fingers, but she was careful not to get them on anything as she went inside, intent on washing her hands one more time. When she got into the kitchen, she smiled to see Kris there. "Hello."

Kris looked up as Madeleine came in, looking casually beautiful as always. The blond blushed as she leaned over her lunch, hoping the other woman wouldn't notice that she was having the ponies' oatmeal for lunch again. It wasn't her fault neither of them had time to get to the store much anymore. "Hi, good class?" The brunette had that look about her of satisfied thoughtfulness that she often did after getting a morning to draw.

"Very..." Madeleine went directly to the sink and began to wash her hands up to her elbows, turning over her shoulder as she rinsed. "You should have called...I would have brought groceries..." She smirked as she looked at Kris fondly. The oatmeal certainly wasn't bad, but it wouldn't be Madeleine's first choice for lunch.

Kris shrugged. "It's been a busy day around here. The vet was out for spring shots today, and Pacifico nearly took out the boards on his fence." She took a last few bites and stood to put the dish in the sink, "and Hilda is bringing back her new one for a second lesson. Poor thing is trying so hard to be good she keeps falling over and I think she's getting frustrated." Kris kissed Madeleine as the other woman dried her hands, "I don't suppose you've got some free time for Zephyr to try and show her the ropes?" Zephyr was only in the barn some of the time now, but it was something they both had come to enjoy as an outlet, and the experienced pony was especially good in putting new ones at ease.

Zephyr had no lack of admirers at the shows and races, and Hilda graciously accepted the compliments. In return, life just seemed to work for Kris and Madeleine. A month earlier papers had come in the mail confirming the brunette's student visa, and her school fees were paid. Kris and Hilda never formally discussed the situation, but the blond never questioned the other woman's intentions. They shared too many of each other's secrets for that.

Madeleine licked her lips after the kiss and grinned. She had planned on doing some sketching that afternoon because the light was so nice. But the prospect of Zephyr being out with the other ponies was too tempting to pass up, especially now that it was warm enough to have lessons outside. "Of course." She folded the dish towel and draped it over the edge of the sink, placing her hands on Kris's hips before leaning in to give her another quick kiss. "Braid my hair really quickly before you go?"

Kris smiled, "Sure, have a seat." She motioned to one of the kitchen chairs and came back a moment later with a comb and elastic. She hummed a little as she ran her fingers through Madeline's hair and plaited it expertly. She'd put her tack on when Zephyr got to the barn, having grown more casual about their rituals as they became more comfortable with each other. Somehow it was working, as strange as their beginnings had been, owing largely in part to Hilda's intuition.

It was Madeleine's little secret that she loved these moments between her two worlds, where she and Kris could be so close, with the same goals in mind. "Thank you," she said when Kris was finished. Madeleine rose and pecked the blonde on the cheek lightly. "I'll be out in a moment," she said, smiling. She wanted to run upstairs and change before going out.

"Alright." Kris smiled and watched her go, then turned to head back to the rest of her day in the barn, hoping none of the ponies, equine or otherwise, had gotten into anything while she was away.


	20. Ride

Hilda folded her hands just as Alabaster settled into a stop and flicked a fly away from his ears. She did not take her eyes from the view even as she murmured to him in Danish and smiled. The little knoll where she and Kris brought their mounts to a stop was one of Hilda's favorite vantage points on Kris's property. She finally smiled to her companion and moved forward to better see the pasture near them. There, Brazil was laughing from the ground, where Hilda could imagine, she had probably just landed after tripping. Zephyr was going to her side, and Hilda watched as the pony explained, she guessed, how to get up while her arms were loosely bound. "I'm not sure Brazil will ever be able to make it through a race," she said, amused.

Kris nodded, watching the moment between the ponies playing out below. Madeline had been telling her about some of Zephyr's advice to Brazil, and how hard the smaller pony was trying. She'd started wearing proper shoes this week, and it had been back to square one with her balance. She clicked to her mount to keep his attention when he tugged his head toward the grass. "She will....eventually." The blond chuckled lightly, "that is if she doesn't disappear before then."

Laughing lightly, Hilda shook her head. "I don't think Via left her tips on how to get out of her restraints." Though even after quite some time without her, Hilda still wouldn't put it past Via to show up and let Brazil or any number of other ponies out one night when they had all grown complacent. "Zephyr is very good with the new ones, but I'm afraid she'll get bored of her events soon." Peaseblossom had taken her degree and left Hilda's stables with a new job, and Zephyr had quickly become Hilda's best performing pony. Whatever she and Kris had, Hilda was glad of it. Both women seemed happy.

"She still seems to be enjoying herself enough for now." Madeline often said she liked the diversion, and found it helped her work. She was growing in notoriety not only as Zephyr, but as an artist in her own right. The week before, she had shared a gallery exhibition with another artist, and sold several of her equine drawings. Still, her most lucrative work had been commissioned pieces for Hilda and her vast group of friends and associates. For her part, Kris was constantly amazed by the work, and more than a little proud of Madeline's success. The blond looked back approvingly as Brazil got to her knees and stood, shaking some of the dust and loose grass off herself. "That's better....she'll get there," the trainer mused.

"Mm, yes I think so. I'm glad of Zephyr's patience." And Kris's as well; she and Madeleine suited each other. Hilda found herself smiling lightly as both ponies smiled at each other. Brazil took a few excited steps, half circling Zephyr before falling again. This time, she carefully got up with no help and was rewarded with an approving smile from Zephyr. "I got a postcard from Malta this morning." She sighed softly and shook her head. "Arizona." Hilda ran her fingers through her hair and turned to Kris. "Oh, and an email from my friend Brett. She wants some of Madeleine's pieces for her gallery in London."

Kris wondered just when it had happened that a conversation like this seemed normal to her, and smiled at Hilda before answering, " Malta. Should be nice this time of year. I suppose it was another picture of a city with just a signature on it then?" She turned her horse to follow when Hilda started to head back to the barn. "And that's wonderful about the gallery, I'm sure Madeline will be thrilled to have her work in London." The horses' footfalls were soft on the spring grass, and Kris let out a deep breath.

Hilda smiled to herself and let the familiar silence fall between them as they finished their ride. Madeleine was going to do much more than just London, she thought. And by then, perhaps, Hilda thought she might have quite a collection of postcards with "Arizona" scrawled on the back...or they would stop coming at all. She dismounted, pressing close to Alabaster and breathing in his scent for a moment. "I think I'll stay for Attica's lesson today; she might try a bit harder if she knows I'm watching." Hilda acknowledged Kris's nod with one of her own and handed Alabaster off to Mario before turning on her heel. Kris had a lesson with another client, and Hilda had decided before they returned that Brazil and Zephyr deserved a bit of sugar.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Sound](https://archiveofourown.org/works/109818) by [Miri Cleo (miri_cleo)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/miri_cleo/pseuds/Miri%20Cleo)




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